Deep-Sea Yellow and Orange Bamboo Coral

"Scientists identified seven new species of bamboo coral discovered on a NOAA-funded mission in the deep waters of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Six of these species may represent entirely new genera, a remarkable feat given the broad classification a genus represents." -- New Deep-Sea Coral Discovered on NOAA-Supported Mission

This orange bamboo coral is another new species and new genus found in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. It is between four and five feet tall, and was found 5,745 feet below the surface. High resolution (Credit: Hawaii Deep-Sea Coral Expedition 2007/NOAA)

This five-foot tall yellow bamboo coral, standing in 4,787 feet of water, represents a new species and establishes a new genus of bamboo corals. High resolution (Credit: Hawaii Deep-Sea Coral Expedition 2007/NOAA)

A Very Large Blue Whale

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society has uploaded a life size Blue Whale to the web. Go see.

H. Psychedelica

"'Psychedelica' seems the perfect name for a species of fish that is a wild swirl of tan and peach zebra stripes and behaves in ways contrary to its brethren. So says University of Washington's Ted Pietsch, who is the first to describe the new species in the scientific literature and thus the one to select the name." -- University of Washington Office of News and Information

©David Hall/seaphotos.com

With its flattened face, the fish's eyes appear to be directed forward and may provide it with binocular vision, a special attribute well developed in humans that provides the ability to accurately judge distance. Only very few fishes have eyes whose radius of vision overlaps in front, providing such vision.

©David Hall/seaphotos.com

A H. psychedelica sits on its leg-like pectoral fins, with its tail curled about to one side. It prefers to inhabit crevices and holes in the reef, sometimes vigorously twisting and turning its body to enter such spaces. The skin of the body is thick, loose and spongy. Perhaps that's the reason the fish moves among sharp edged corals without being scraped and scarred.

©David Hall/seaphotos.com

A H. psychedelica jet-propels itself through the water. More than a dozen individuals have been seen in Ambon Harbor, Indonesia, since divers with Maluku Divers first spotted one of the fish in January 2008. The fish have been found in 15 to 25 feet of water near a commercial jetty in the busy harbor.

©David Hall/seaphotos.com

Leg-like pectoral fins are commonly found in anglerfish which prefer crawling to swimming

Barreleye Fish (Macropinna Microstoma)

Researchers solve mystery of deep-sea fish with tubular eyes and transparent head

Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute recently solved the half-century-old mystery of a fish with tubular eyes and a transparent head. Ever since the "barreleye" fish Macropinna microstoma was first described in 1939, marine biologists have known that it's tubular eyes are very good at collecting light. However, the eyes were believed to be fixed in place and seemed to provide only a "tunnel-vision" view of whatever was directly above the fish's head... -- Full Press Release

[The barreleye (Macropinna microstoma) has extremely light-sensitive eyes that can rotate within a transparent, fluid-filled shield on its head. The fish's tubular eyes are capped by bright green lenses. The eyes point upward (as shown here) when the fish is looking for food overhead. They point forward when the fish is feeding. The two spots above the fish's mouth are olfactory organs called nares, which are analogous to human nostrils. Image: © 2004 MBARI]

[Image: © 2004 MBARI]