More than two-and-a-half kilometres below the ocean含羞草研究社檚 surface off of Vancouver Island, Ocean Networks Canada captured a rare sighting last summer.
The Nautilus exploration vessel video-captured images of a sea pig swimming along at a depth of 2,584 metres in the Cascadia Basin last August. It含羞草研究社檚 rare to actually witness sea pigs 含羞草研究社 alternatively known by their scientific name of scotoplanes 含羞草研究社 as they swim, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) said.
The marine animals, which are related to starfish and sea urchins, are usually found for waste morsels to feed on.
含羞草研究社淭hese sea cucumbers 含羞草研究社榳alk含羞草研究社 on their inflatable tube feet, scavenging for tasty #deepsea detritus,含羞草研究社 Ocean Networks Canada tweeted Wednesday.
That sea-bottom 含羞草研究社榳alk含羞草研究社 is facilitated by hydraulically operated tube feet. Sea pigs then feed by using a ring of feeding tentacles surrounding their mouths to sift through the mud and grab food.
The deep-sea swine-resembling creatures are about half the length of a ruler and scientists believe their papillae (small lump-like tissue) may allow sea pigs to 含羞草研究社渟mell含羞草研究社 their way to food, Ocean Networks Canada said.
含羞草研究社淧igs can fly!含羞草研究社 the Greater Victoria-based ONC said in its tweet.
Pigs can fly! Rare sighting of a swimming (Scotoplanes sp) at Cascadia Basin, 2584 metres. Usually seen on the seafloor, these sea cucumbers 'walk' on their inflatable tube feet, scavenging for tasty detritus. Watch more:
含羞草研究社 Ocean Networks 馃嚚馃嚘 (@Ocean_Networks)
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