Meet Peniagone papillata, a spectacular seafloor squish. This sea cucumber was observed on our abyssal plain research site off the coast of Santa Barbara 3,910 meters (12,828 feet) deep. #MBARIFromTheVault
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Abyssal plains, which cover much of the ocean floor, are dark and cold, without much for animals to eat. However, exceptionally large pulses of food may reach the deep seafloor every decade or two. MBARI researchers found that sea cucumbers experience population booms following these “feasts.”
Video Lab Research Technician Larissa Lemon selected this charismatic sea cucumber because of its unique size. “I always love seeing these vibrant and whimsical sea cucumbers. They are much larger than other Peniagone species we see, so they stand out from the crowd,” she shared.
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