Dive 15: Velvet Whalefish
Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Discovering the Deep: Exploring Remote Pacific MPAs. Download (mp4, 24.9 MB)

This velvet whalefish, covered with gnathiid isopod parasites, was observed for the first time this expedition on March 23 at ~1,300 meters. It belongs to the species Barbourisia rufa, rufa for red. These fish are bathypelagic and maybe benthopelagic, hovering above the bottom.

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