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September 2, 2020: Polychaete Worm

Scientists were intrigued by this unusual polychaete worm, which lacked the expected visible scales; no members of the science team participating in the dive had seen anything quite like it. Seen during the 2015 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi expedition while exploring a ridge that is southeast of Maro Reef.

Watch a video of the worm as it moves along the bottom before swimming away!

Credit

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2015 Hohonu Moana.