A rare sighting of a juvinile cutthroat eel will help our scientists learn more about the life history of these fish.

A rare sighting of a juvinile cutthroat eel will help our scientists learn more about the life history of these fish. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana. Download larger version (jpg, 1.2 MB).

Leg 4 Dive 08: Lone Cone
September 21, 2015
15.59547 N, 167.74474 W
Access Dive Summary and ROV Data

Dive 08 investigated the northeast slope of a cone feature on an unnamed seamount, 30 miles north of yesterday’s dive site. ROV Deep Discoverer (D2) landed on sedimented bottom with some exposed manganese encrusted rock at 2,137 meters. As D2 moved upslope, we encountered occasional corals and sponges, shrimp, a very large unusual crinoid, a Bathytyphlops (deep-sea tripod fish with greatly reduced eyes), an arrow worm, and a diversity of echinoderms. As D2 approached the summit of the cone feature, the diversity and density of fauna increased. Over 18 species of deep-sea corals, including a diversity of black corals and octocorals were documented. At the end of the dive, we imaged a rare juvenile cutthroat eel.