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Hide and seek in the deep sea! 🐙⠀ ⠀ This little octopus, Muusoctopus sp., is commonly found on the muddy seafloor where it can easily bury itself to hide from predators. We spotted this one hiding underneath an anemone at 1,539 meters (5,049 feet) deep. ⠀ ⠀ #octopus #deepsea #deepsealife #deepseaoctopus #cephalopod #seafloor #marinebiology #invertebratezoology #MBARI #underwaterphotography #ocean #oceanlife #exploremore #science⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

This softball-sized, translucent jelly moves through the water like a shooting star, trailing four fleshy oral arms—but no tentacles—behind it. 💫 ⠀ ⠀ This and other unique features resulted in the jelly’s categorization as a new genus and species. MBARI researchers named the jelly Stellamedusa ventana. Its genus, Stellamedusa, refers to the jelly’s translucent blue-white color and trailing arms, which reminded the scientists of a slow-moving meteor or shooting star. It’s species name, ventana, refers to MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Ventana, a deep-diving submarine robot that first recorded the jelly on video in 1990.⠀ ⠀ #jellyfish #jellies #gelatinouszooplankton #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #midwater #pelagic #plankton #mesopelagic #MBARI #exploremore #underwaterphotography #marinebiology⠀

Lingcod are known for their impressive ability to photobomb. 📸😜 ⠀ This particular fish is sitting among the various sensors deployed to monitor the responses of sponges to sediments kicked up into the water column by human activities like bottom-contact fish trawling. Although sponges need sediment to survive, some can become clogged or damaged, while others significantly reduce or stop pumping water altogether when levels of suspended sediments are too high. This behavior reduces the amount of food they consume and affects their survival. ⠀ ⠀ In a recent study, researchers confirmed that three species of glass sponge are indeed sensitive to changes in sedimentation within their surrounding environment. Read more on MBARI's webpage. Image by Sally Leys.⠀ ⠀ #linkinprofile #science #research #biodiversity #MBARI #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #ecology #corals #sponges #underwaterphotography #marinebiology #exploremore⁣⠀ ⠀

Shrimply the best...better than all the rest! 🎵⠀ ⠀ This species of pelagic shrimp, Petalidium suspiriosum, is part of a group called the Sergestid shrimps. They play an important role in the oceanic food web and are eaten by animals ranging from fish and other crustaceans to large whales. ⠀ ⠀ Their red coloration is used as camouflage to hide from these predators. The red wavelengths in the visible light spectrum are the first to be absorbed in the ocean, making red colors appear black in the deep sea. Red animals disappear into the darkness, enabling them to ambush unsuspecting prey or avoid a hungry predator. ⠀ ⠀ #shrimp #deepseashrimp #redanimals #adaptation #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #science #pelagic #plankton #MBARI #exploremore #underwaterphotography #marinebiology ⠀

I'm a pout-pout fish, with a pout-pout face.⠀ ⠀ Blob sculpin (Psychrolutes phrictus) grow to about 60 cm (two feet) long and are shaped like large, flabby tadpoles. They are bottom-dwellers, eating crabs, sea pens, and other small animals that live on the seafloor. They are found 1,000-2,500 meters (~3,200 - 8,200 feet) deep. They grow to be more than a meter (3.28 feet) long, and can be nearly the same in width!⠀ ⠀ #MBARI #deepsea #deepseabiology #naturephotography #underwaterphotography #science #marinebiology #ocean #oceanscience #fish #deepseafish #Blobsculpin #oceanlife #benthicbiology #exploremore⠀ ⠀

Anyone else having a bad hair day? 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏽‍♂️ ⠀ This small and delicate jelly lives in the bathypelagic zone, approximately 1,000 to 3,000 meters below the sea surface. Its name, Crossota millsae is in honor of jelly biologist Dr. Claudia Mills from Friday Harbor Laboratories. Using ROVs, MBARI researchers have observed these jellies in depths as great as 3,700 meters. They reproduce sexually and brood baby medusae attached to the gastric canals under the umbrella. Unlike most hydromedusae, none of the species of Crossota have a sessile stage. Instead, spend their entire lives in the water column as plankton. ⠀ ⠀ #jelly #gelata #deepseajelly #jellyfish #bioluminescent #explore #MontereyBay ⠀ #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #midwater #pelagic #plankton #mesopelagic #MBARI #underwaterphotography #marinebiology⠀