Deep Sea News

#1 Vampyroteuthis infernalis (Phylum Mollusca, Class Cephalopoda, SubClass Coleoidea, Superorder Octopodiformes, Order Vampyromorphida, Family Vampyroteuthidae)

You’re alone and chill runs through your body not just because of the cold but because of the profound darkness that surrounds you.  In the distance, a faint light attracts you.  You move closer.  Several pulses of faint blue color call to you.  You are close to them now mesmerized by their pattern and glow.  All of sudden something touches your face and pulls you closer to the lights.  You feel blood dripping down your skull.  OMG, IT’S EATING YOUR FACE AND CHOMPING ON YOUR BRAIN! 

What’s not to love about the vampire squid?  Not really squid and not really octopod, it is sort of the bastard child of both.   As the only known surviving member of its order, it is forever shunned to the deep to live the reminder of its life.  It is truly Satan spawn and rightly named Vampyroteuthis infernalis or VAMPIRE SQUID FROM HELL!  The beaks are void of color.  Stark white, possible stained with your blood, is the last thing you will see before it eats your brain. The arms are connected with a billowy cape like the blood sucking fiends of Transylvania.  The head to arm tip photophores are for counter-illumination, essentially a cloaking device in the murky depths.  But the elaborate lighting displays they exhibit suggest these little demons may also use them for mating rituals and hunting sex and violence. 

Thus, this little demonic creature is the fitting end to our countdown of the 27 Best Deep-Sea Species.

This is basically how I feel about sushi as well. Yes, I have been known to blow a Jackson over a 3-roll lunch with a couple Sapporos. I’m not ashamed of it.

Hat tip Sea Notes. -KAZ

Bonus!

Hat tip Pink Tentacle.

#2 Genus Osedax (Phylum: Annelida, Class: Polychaeta, Order: Sabellida, Family: Siboglinidae)

BONEZ1!! WE WANTZ UR BONEZ!! Perhaps the scariest deep sea creature, Osedax (latin for “bone devourer”) is a genus of tubeworm that lives on the carcasses of whales that have fallen to the seafloor. It lives off of mining the lipids in the whale’s bones using “root”-like structures. THEY WILL EAT UR BONEZ!!1! I would not want to fall to the bottom and meet these little guys. Of course it takes a while before the worms settle in. First the sharks and hagfish have to strip away all the flesh (see video below the fold to find out what happens to all those drunken sailors, note fuzzy stuff near end).

Photo montage of whale fall courtesy of MBARI. Red fuzzies are the plumes of Osedax.Not only do they eat whale bones, but they have a lifestyle that would strike fear in the hearts of any good christian family. You see, males are just parasitic little wormy sacks of sperm. They live in the oviduct of the female and live only to serve. And it is by no means a monogamous lifestyle. Each female might have up to 114 males prancing about inside of her. God knows what so many males do in one female. Surely nothing we would want our precious children to see.

Osedax from Monterey Canyon. Left picture shows the green roots and white ovary that is buried in the whale bone, courtesy of Greg Rouse. Right picture courtesy of MBARI.

To recap: Bone-eating zombie worms devouring dead whales (and cows!) with useless parasitic males enslaved in harems. Disgusting.

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While we’re waiting for the finalists in the Top 27 Deep-Sea Species, I wanted to tip you to a totally off-topic gambit happening in the media. It’s probably only relevant if you like to make movies for kicks, or write movie scripts. But there’s a few of us here, right?

Lately, I’ve been reading Kevin Smith’s "Porno" is not so hot, but this review at USA Today focuses on what the man did for our generation, which is to help us say, way back with Clerks in 1994, "Hey, if that guy can make a movie, so can I". This was ten years before YouTube.

But actually, the way it turned out for many people was "Hey, if that guy can make a movie, then I can make … an infomercial, or an art film, or a brain cancer documentary, or a deep-sea video. But I just can’t make a 90 minute talkie, man. What’s wrong with me?"

Turns out my credit wasn’t as good as Robert Townsend, and my career was better suited to deep-sea biology.  Still want to make that movie, though. Its funny that I have Kevin Smith to thank for it. – PJE

#3 Family Cladorhizidae (Phylum: Porifera, Class: Demospongiae , Order: Poecilosclerida)

The number three slot is taken over by sponges that are not just happy with filter feeding.  These sponges have a taste for flesh…human flesh.  I jest, they don’t eat all humans just babies.  Seriously, these sponges go after tiny crustaceans which seem to be the tasty preference for many of the carnivores in the countdown.  From Dr. Vacelet

The prey, mostly small crustaceans and other invertebrates provided
with setae or thin appendages, is trapped on the surface of appendages
of the sponges, which is lined by tiny hook-like spicules acting as
Velcro. Then the cells of the sponge migrate towards the prey, and
individually phagocytize and digest fragment of the prey. This is a
very unusual phenomenon in pluricellular animals, a unique case in
which a non-microscopic prey is digested in the absence of any
digestive cavity. This has been investigated in one species, but is
likely general for all the carnivorous sponges (family Cladorhizidae),
which are deep-sea species usually a few cm high (not really dangerous
for a diver…).

The first species of this group was discovered recently in 1995 by scientists in French caves.  Since the initial discovery many more species have been discovered on the abyssal plains, seamounts, and virtually every other nook and cranny of the deep.  The four genera have quite different forms ranging from grass-like, to a candelabra shape, to my personal favorite a lollipop tree. 

• #27: Brachiopods
• #26: Pig Butt Worm
• #25: Crawling Crinoids
• #24: Tube Worms
• #23: Dumbo Octopus
• #22: Xenophyophores
• #21: Phronima
• #20: Swimming Sea Cucumbers
• #19: Black Devil Anglerfish
• #18: Venus Fly-trap Anemone
• #17: Tripod fish, Bathypterois
• #16: Chaunax, the red-eyed gaper
• #15: Spookfish, Rhinochimaera pacifica
• #14: Alviniconcha hessleri, the hairy vent snail
• #13: Deep Sea Corals
• #12: Yeti Crab
• #11: Venus’s Flower Basket
• #10: Echinothuriid Sea Urchins
• #9: Giant Isopod
• #8: Red Lure Jellyfish
• #7: Stalked Tunicates
• #6: Giant Sea Spiders
• #5: Barreleye Fish
• #4: Gold-Footed or Scaly Foot Snail

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Ocean people, let’s populate this new Planet Ocean on Google Earth. UNEP and World Commission for Protected Areas just released a global marine protected area (MPA) data layer. Check it out. It’s feels good to see all those little dots pop-up on the Big Blue Marble.

But its just a georeferenced framework with holes that need filling. For example, Flower Garden Banks (FGB) has only one photo of one fish. Where’s all the coral? "Airplane" is a protected area in the northern mid-Atlantic with no information other than the fact that fishing is not allowed.

Fortunately, the Planet Ocean framework allows you to upload stories, pictures, and even videos, so each of us can pick a favorite spot to practice our window decoration. I’ll dig into FGB and the other Texas Banks with colleagues here. What’s your favorite place underwater? -PJE

Deep-sea science recently lost one its brightest beacons. Karen Von Damm was only 53 when she passed away on August 15th after a battle with liver cancer. It is a sad and tremendous loss for the hydrothermal vent research community. Karen was a professor of marine geochemistry at the University of New Hampshire. Rachel Haymon already wrote a brief summary about Karen’s professional background and her many world-renowned accomplishments, of which I encourage you to read. Today, Rachel and Captain Gary Chiljean of the R/V Atlantis held a memorial service prior to Alvin Dive 4464 and spread her ashes in the Pacific ocean. A small glass sphere containing some of her ashes was sent down with Alvin to rest at ‘P-Vent’ on the East Pacific Rise by expedition leader Bruce Strickrott. P-Vent is located at the 9°N Integrated Study Site where dedicated much of her professional life. The following montage was created from her memorial service.

Karen was influential in my upbringing as a deep-sea biologist. During my last year in college I had the opportunity to accompany two geologists I had taken classes from on an expedition to the East Pacific Rise. Karen was a part the expedition and continuing her studies of temporal change in water chemistry from the hydrothermal vents we visited. I worked mostly with the biologists on board and assisted the geologists at night with towed camera operations. Needless to say the whole experience was amazing for me and I was hooked on deep-sea science!

I owe it to Karen for my first, and only, dive in the Alvin submersible. She sat me down in the mess late one night and looking at me very excitedly asked if I would like to dive with her the following morning. It was intended to be a short dive, it was BBQ cookout night after all so the sub pilot wanted to get back up in a hurry to shower and relax on the deck. Of course I was ecstatic and without a hesitation said YES! Its not uncommon for an undergraduate to have such a priviledge, but I was aware of how low I ranked on the totem pole (my official title on the expedition was "ship’s bitch", being one of two undergrads in the science party).

The whole experience was amazing. We made observations, did some filming, collected water samples at several vents and recovered some artificial tubeworm substrate experiments for another researcher (published here). Karen was very calm and reassuring and made sure I didn’t miss
anything. She even made the pilot let me drop the weights for our ascent! Karen never took anything for granted though she had dove on the site for over a decade. I took notes for her, noting the color combinations on the handles of the water samplers, while she reminded me to peer out of the 3 inch portals and admire the black smokers a meter in front of me. One of which was underneath my portal at one time! We did have to wrestle in the sub though. Karen is very tall and lean and the sub is very small with 3 people cramped inside. She took the following picture of me in the sub (on the left). You can see her knee in the lower left corner. The picture on the right taken of her in the computer lab on board the R/V Atlantis for the 2003 expedition.

I always appreciated how much she cared about students. She was so full of energy and loved to talk about science, in particular how important chemistry was for the vent inhabitants. She really saw the connections between tectonics, hydrothermal chemistry, biology and ecology. While I went on to be more biologically orientated, one cannot escape the grasp of geochemistry when you are working in chemosynthetic ecosystems. Her work was important well outside the bounds of the hydrothermal vent community, including contributions to improving our understanding of the global ocean budget as well as the chemistry behind the potential for life’s origins at reducing environments such as hydrothermal vents. We’ll miss you Karen. Keep diving. – Kevin Zelnio

#4 Gold-Footed or Scaly Foot Snail (Phylum Mollusca, Class Gastropoda, Order Neomphalina, tentatively Crysomallon squamiferum)

Hydrothermal vents possess a molluscan fauna that is both unique and fascinating.  This fauna includes over 30 limpet species and several newly described species of gastropods.  A gastropod first described in 2003 may be the most interesting find thus far at a hydrothermal vent.  I admit my bias here, as most of my interest lies with studying deep-sea gastropods.  Nonetheless, the discovery of ‘gold-footed" snails a the Kairei vent field in the the Indian Ocean is fascinating (Waren et al. 2003, Science, also see McClain 2005, American Conchologist)

At this point I should state that the foot of the snail is mineralized with pyrite and greigite.  Many of you might note the misnomer here, as pyrite is only ‘Fool’s Gold,’ but in deciding on a temporary common name Fool’s Gold-Footed Snail seemed a bit lengthy.  I hope all will forgive the intentional misonomer for the sake of creative writing.

The scales, or sclerites, that cover the entire length of the  snail’s foot can be up to 8mm long. The presence of mineralized scales is remarkable in itself, but the existence of iron sulfide as skeletal material is unknown from any other animal.  The purity of sulfides, among other lines of evidence, suggest that the building of the scales is controlled by the gastropod itself. The sclerites are thought to have evolved recently and be homologous to the operculum.  It is thought they may serve as a defense against cone shells also occurring at the vent. – CRM

• #27: Brachiopods
• #26: Pig Butt Worm
• #25: Crawling Crinoids
• #24: Tube Worms
• #23: Dumbo Octopus
• #22: Xenophyophores
• #21: Phronima
• #20: Swimming Sea Cucumbers
• #19: Black Devil Anglerfish
• #18: Venus Fly-trap Anemone
• #17: Tripod fish, Bathypterois
• #16: Chaunax, the red-eyed gaper
• #15: Spookfish, Rhinochimaera pacifica
• #14: Alviniconcha hessleri, the hairy vent snail
• #13: Deep Sea Corals
• #12: Yeti Crab
• #11: Venus’s Flower Basket
• #10: Echinothuriid Sea Urchins
• #9: Giant Isopod
• #8: Red Lure Jellyfish
• #7: Stalked Tunicates
• #6: Giant Sea Spiders
• #5: Barreleye Fish

Now that you have been properly educated, here is a deep sea fail:

#5 Species from the family Opisthoproctidae (Phylum: Chordata, Class: Actinopterygii, Order: Osmeriformes)

These fish are so cool they could be invertebrates.  First is that lovely family name which means behind the anus (opisthe-behind, prokotos-anus), a name whose intent escapes me.

Second, the 12 species in 6 genera are exclusively deep sea. Shallow water species can suck it! Third, all the species except one have tubular eyes that protrude from the skull, always gazing dreamily upwards. In Winteria (image left), the eyes look forward and up. Fourth, those crazy eyes have huge lens (yes size does matter) with an inordinate amoutn of rod cells and rhodopsin.  Fifth, they possess bioluminescent organs on their sides and stomachs that serves a counterillumination from below.

The last and best reason yet, is that all the species have transparent to translucent heads!  You can just look right in there and see all the fish’s thoughts in that tiny little fish brain. The two thoughts so far documented are I am hungry and horny.  Same as Kevin really.  Seriously though, the clear heads presumably allow the fish to collect more light.

Check out the pictures of Opisthoproctus soleatus by Norbert Wu Middle image of Macropinna microstoma from Paul Yancey.

Barreleyes at 5:47

• #27: Brachiopods
• #26: Pig Butt Worm
• #25: Crawling Crinoids
• #24: Tube Worms
• #23: Dumbo Octopus
• #22: Xenophyophores
• #21: Phronima
• #20: Swimming Sea Cucumbers
• #19: Black Devil Anglerfish
• #18: Venus Fly-trap Anemone
• #17: Tripod fish, Bathypterois
• #16: Chaunax, the red-eyed gaper
• #15: Spookfish, Rhinochimaera pacifica
• #14: Alviniconcha hessleri, the hairy vent snail
• #13: Deep Sea Corals
• #12: Yeti Crab
• #11: Venus’s Flower Basket
• #10: Echinothuriid Sea Urchins
• #9: Giant Isopod
• #8: Red Lure Jellyfish
• #7: Stalked Tunicates
• #6: Giant Sea Spiders