If you copy and use photos, please WRITE for PERMISSION first at email
just below. Some of these photos are mine, others are ones I took from
the ROV Oceanic Explorer's camera monitor. If you can help us identify species with a *, please contact me at the email just above. Note: many of the specimens have been deposited at the Field Museum in Chicago and loans of the material can be arranged through Janet Voight (voight@fmnh.org) or John Slapcinsky (Slapcin@fmnh.org) |
Benthic Cnidaria (or Coelenterata)
and Porifera
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**CLICK PICTURES FOR LARGER VERSIONS**
A. CALIFORNIA/OREGON/WASHINGTON BATHYAL AND ABYSSAL: (a) = abyssal plain (2300-2850m), (b) = bathyal zone--continental slope (1800-2000m) off Newport, Oregon; (mb) = 2000-3000m in Monterey Bay Canyon; (jdr)=Juan de Fuca ridge off British Columbia, 2300m |
Those with "*" are ones we haven't identified at the species level. The "silica sponge" has long glass fiber-optic-like fibers for anchoring in the mud
B. CALIFORNIA/OREGON SUBTIDAL-- Calif. slope off Eureka (510-525m) and Hydrate Ridge (600m) off Newport, Oregon (Alvin and ROV video images) |
Seapens* with brittle stars |
The deepsea mushroom coral Anthomastus ritteri
(anthozoan colony, relative of corals, anemones, seapens; looks
like toadstool when withdrawn)--lives 200-1500 m deep. Underwater
photos are ROV and Alvin pictures; the 2nd photo I took off collected
specimens; all are from Eel River Seeps off Eureka Calif, 510-520m.
Righthand picture I took at the Monterey
Bay Aquarium Research Institute; see the related aquarium
website info page on this weird animal. See Seeps&Vents
page for more submersible images
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Unidentified anemones from Calif. (520m) and Oregon (600m) sites. |
Amazing sponges (*; 70-1100m) seen while exploring
new territory at 520m with ROV, 4/2001
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