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Ben guarino
Reporter covering biology, genetics, nature, paleontology and scientific culture
The Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Monument, the largest protected area in the country, extends over more than half a million square kilometers of land and land in Hawaii. It also includes wonderfully strange and extensible creatures, as a research team observed on Thursday on the Nautilus Exploration Vessel.
The Nautilus, operated by the non-profit organization Ocean Exploration Trust, has been broadcasting excursions online since 2012. (The Nautilus team showed us, in 2016, a mysterious purple orb of deep sea jelly). an inflatable animal that lives at 4,600 feet below the surface of the Pacific.
The video is a treat, with the Greek refrain of the research team telling the story of the discovery:
"Looks like a Muppet."
"What are you?"
"Huh."
"Oh, oh, it's a fish!
"It's a fish – what?"
The fish is stretched, waving like a balloon with a leak. Scientists continue in their joy and their perplexity.
"Is this engorged or is it – as this?"
Once it opens its mouth, revealing huge jaws, the fish is set for what it is:
"Is that an eel, then?"
The scientific name of the eel Gulper is Eurypharynx pelecanoides. Like its pelicans, the eel can pick up large prey in its jaws. It can also spread in a net when hunting for fish, shellfish and squid.
In a flash, the Eel Gulper was deflated and swam. "That," said one of the scientists in the video, "was impressive. "
Thomas Hourigan, who studies deepwater coral at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a leading scientist on the Nautilus Expedition, told The Washington Post that the ecosystem is "virgin",
Scientists are trying to understand the geology of seamounts in the region and describe the organisms that live there. "We are photographing and recording the habitats of deep-sea corals on video, and that's when we observed this strange balloon creature with a tail. It was totally unexpected, "he said.
The submarine swirls of this eel were a rare sight. "Almost every time we dive, we find something new and exceptional," Hourigan said.
The current shipment will continue to be broadcast on NautilusLive.org until October 2.
This story has been updated to include Hourigan's comments.
Read more:
This incredibly cute marine creature looks like a cartoon octopus with googly eyes
The creators of the world's smallest mollusc museum have giant ambitions
This deep-sea creature looks like a flying spaghetti monster
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