#epniastes

Deep wonder, brought to you by the deep waters of Trinidad and Tobago!

This is an Enypniastes eximia, a deep-sea sea cucumber recorded at a depth of 1,095 meters.

We can see how this graceful gelatinous gem earned at least one of their nicknames: Spanish dancer. Look how their tubefeet glide across the seafloor, scooping up nutritious marine snow and sediment and swirling as the animal swoops up into the water column. Kyle Foster studies deep-sea biology and has a background in fisheries. He pointed out that the animal’s other nickname — the headless chicken monster — might be a misnomer. While Enypniastes eximia gets this unfortunate name thanks to an uncanny resemblance to a chicken right before being popped into the oven, there were strong objections to the “monster” description among the #DeepWonder science team, according to Foster. Sea cucumbers are utterly harmless, unless you are a tasty morsel nestled in seafloor sediment. “Sightings like these help us to understand our deep-sea biodiversity and their behaviors, ultimately informing ocean governance,” he said. Foster is a graduate student at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus. This expedition, led by Dr. Diva Amon of SpeSeas, was the first systematic exploration of Trinidad and Tobago’s deep waters. One of the team’s goals was to strengthen capacity in the country and in the region by having a primarily Caribbean team of scientists, at least half of whom are students and early career researchers who will share their experiences and expertise throughout the Caribbean and beyond.