Odd-looking ‘pyramid-shaped’ creature seen 2.5 miles down on ocean floor, NOAA says
A small “pyramid-shaped” object found 2.5 miles down in the Pacific Ocean has been identified as a “weird” and rarely seen deep sea creature.
The find off Northern California was made public April 19 by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Exploration, which tweeted: “Here’s something you don’t see every day ... a pyramid-shaped urchin.”
Sea urchins — known as “the porcupines of the sea” — are typically round and covered in quill-like spines.
Here's something you don't see every day...a pyramid-shaped urchin.
Still about 2 hours left in today's #Okeanos dive. Join us at nearly 4,000 meters (2.5 miles) below the Pacific's surface: https://t.co/MJI0RrSmFR pic.twitter.com/shZoLM6ZMm— NOAA Ocean Exploration (@oceanexplorer) April 19, 2023
Finding one shaped like a pyramid did not surprise urchin experts, but the NOAA’s live feed of the dive amounted to the sea creature’s big public debut, experts say.
“They are rarely seen and even less frequently collected as they are very delicate and live in very deep waters,” Chris Mah, an echinoderm expert with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, said in a statement to McClatchy News.
“Nobody but scientists even knew what these were until the internet.”
Mah says the unique urchin is in the Pourtalesiidae family, which is populated by the “strangest of the strange.”
They’re found “in the deepest of the abyssal seas, usually over 1000 meters,” and research has revealed they come in at least three colors: purple, tan and white, Mah wrote in a blog.
It used to be thought that the deep ocean was devoid of life. Today's #Okeanos dive illustrated that's not the case! While not abundant, we did see lots of interesting critters. And the @Discover_GFOE team accomplished important ROV/engineering objectives. Win!
Back tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/DgbcaK8HKC— NOAA Ocean Exploration (@oceanexplorer) April 19, 2023
The urchin (called Echinocrepis rostrata) was seen with a remotely operated vehicle, as scientists explored the Mendocino Flats off Northern California. The expedition, which runs through April 26, is exploring geologically diverse areas where converging tectonic plates have created “submarine volcanism and hydrothermal vents,” scientists say.
Dives will also be conducted off Washington and Oregon in coming days, including areas as deep as 12,470 feet.
“Because of their active geological features, rich biodiversity, and proximity to the coastline, scientists have been studying these deep waters for decades, yet much remains to be learned about the deep-ocean environment in this region,” NOAA Ocean Exploration reports.
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