Best of the Echinoblog digest: Deep-Sea Critters!

I have been a little busy this week with catchup and post-trip stuff , while I was away with MBARI on this expedition so here is one of my "Best of the Echinoblog" series that was supposed to get posted while I was gone-but didn't!

THREE of the things below were seen on the trip! I'll leave it up to you guys to decide which ones! (or you could just check the blog from the cruise!)

The mystery of the Abyssal "Sea Daisy" Xyloplax. Pt. 1 and Pt. 2

Deep-sea brisingid starfish!! Weird Biology (here) and the stories behind their taxonomic name (here)!

(Novodinia antillensis from Ocean Explorer)

Bizarre Echinothuriid sea urchins!

(Phoromosa sp., image courtesy of Dave Pawson, NMNH)

"Hellraiser" sea urchins! The horrifying mystery of Dermechinus horridus!

(Thanks to Dave Pawson, NMNH and NIWA for this image)

The World's Rarest Starfish...
....and of course, SEA PIGS!! (Scotoplanes spp..)
and why it is unlikely that they would be good pets....

And a great page of deep-sea Swimming Sea Cucumber videos! (Enypniastes)