More than two-and-a-half kilometres below the oceansa国际传媒檚 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. Itsa国际传媒檚 rare to actually witness sea pigs sa国际传媒� alternatively known by their scientific name of scotoplanes sa国际传媒� 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.
sa国际传媒淭hese sea cucumbers sa国际传媒榳alksa国际传媒� on their inflatable tube feet, scavenging for tasty #deepsea detritus,sa国际传媒� Ocean Networks Canada tweeted Wednesday.
That sea-bottom sa国际传媒榳alksa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒渟mellsa国际传媒� their way to food, Ocean Networks Canada said.
sa国际传媒淧igs can fly!sa国际传媒� 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:
sa国际传媒� Ocean Networks 馃嚚馃嚘 (@Ocean_Networks)
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