Today's Catch
Jan 9, 2013
Credit:HBOI
These cancer cells have been treated with discodermolide, a chemical obtained from a sponge that grows on deep-sea coral reefs. It prevents the cells from dividing and spreading. Learn more about deep-sea corals in the multimedia feature " Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea " and about drugs from sea creatures in our conversation with Dr. Shirley Pomponi .Read more
Jan 8, 2013
Credit:Mark Rosenstein, Flickr
The toothy goby or common ghost goby ( Pleurosicya mossambica ) lives among soft corals and sponges in the Indo-Pacific ocean. The relationship it has with its host is commensal , which means the goby benefits from the protection and habitat in the corals, but the coral doesn't get hurt or benefit from the relationship. Many of the other 2000 or so species of gobies form such symbiotic...Read more
Jan 7, 2013
Credit:© Brian Skerry, www.brianskerry.com
The shortfin mako shark ( Isurus oxyrinchus) is found offshore in tropical and warm temperate waters of all oceans, but has been known to travel to cooler waters at times. It is very strong and the fastest known species of shark. These qualities make the shortfin mako a prized catch among recreational fisherman. The mako is also sought by commercial fisheries for the production of shark fin soup...Read more
Jan 4, 2013
Credit:Graham Saunders, Flickr
A colony of 100 million flame shells ( Limaria hians ) was discovered in Scotland in 2012 , and is thought to be the biggest in the world. Flame shells are bivalve mollusks that are shaped a bit like scallops—but they have bright orange tentacles exuding from their shells. Despite their bright color, flame shells are very hard to spot because they hide in self-constructed felt-like nests. They...Read more
Jan 3, 2013
Credit:Wikimedia User “Fisherman”
Buyers examine tuna lining the floor of Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan. Ounce per ounce, tuna is one of the most valuable varieties of seafood. In 2012, a single 593lb bluefin tuna sold for $736,000 in a Japanese market. Not surprisingly, populations of bluefin tunas have declined to very low levels, and the species is listed as endangered .Read more
Jan 2, 2013
Credit:Texas A&M University
This deep-sea black coral from Hawaii ( Leiopathes sp. ) is more than 4,200 years old. Black corals are named for the color of their skeletons, but the external tissues of black corals come in many bright colors. Explore more in the multimedia feature " Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea ."Read more
Dec 31, 2012
Credit:Freshwater and Marine Image Bank, University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
The deep-sea dragonfish ( Stomiidae ) , also called the barbeled dragonfish, uses it's fang-like teeth to grab prey in its deep-sea environment. Like other deep-sea organisms, dragonfish have bioluminescent photophores and other adaptations that allow them to make do at extreme depths.Read more
Dec 31, 2012
Credit:©Mason Weinrich, Whale Center of New England
A right whale opens its mouth wide, revealing huge plates of baleen hanging from its upper jaw. There are between 200 and 270 baleen plates on each side of a right whale's upper jaw. They work like a giant sieve to catch the whale's food. Strong but flexible, baleen is made of the same substance as your fingernails - keratin. Discover more about this species in A Tale of A Whale , a photo essay...Read more
Dec 28, 2012
Credit:Spencer Wright
The pinecone fish ( Monocentris japonicus ) looks like the real thing on land—covered in large scales with a dark trim. They are found lurking in caves and under ledges in the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, and are a popular aquarium fish.Read more
Dec 26, 2012
Credit:Flickr User Sushi_Girl1995
These candy cane snapping shrimp ( Alpheus randalli ) have a pretty nice set up. They share their living space with goby fish, helping the fish dig and maintain the burrow that they share in the seafloor. In turn the small, and mostly blind, shrimp (seen in this photo below the goby) get protection from predators in the form of alerts from the goby and a place to call home.Read more
