Blue Planet II

The Deep

5 Nov 2017

Locations not known for sequences 

10
10
2
4
5
5
5
9

Species features in each Sequence

1
Giant fire salp, Oceanic whitetip shark
2
Swordfish, Strawberry squid, Barreleye fish (Macropinna)
3
Lanternfish sp., Humboldt squid
4
Common fangtooth
5
Giant siphonophore, Dinner plate jellyfish sp., Pelagic sea cucumber, Sea toad sp., Flapjack octopus
6
Bluntnose sixgill shark, Carrier crab (Paromola cuvieri), Toothed rock crab, Silver scabbardfish, Zombie worm sp.
7
Venus' flower basket, Glass sponge shrimp sp.
8
Giant seep mussel (Bathymodiolus childressi), Caridean shrimp (Alvinocaris stactophila), Squat lobster sp., Cutthroat eel sp.
9
Sea slug sp., Sea pig sp., Sea star sp., Ethereal snailfish
10
Hoff crab, Vent shrimp (Rimicaris exoculata)

# Species by IUCN Conservation Status

1
Giant fire salp
Pyrostremma spinosum
NE
Giant fire salp (Pyrostremma spinosum) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepGiant fire salp (Pyrostremma spinosum) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Australia

The only visually-similar species that gets this large is Pyrostremma spinosum [1].
[Link 1]
1
Oceanic whitetip shark
Carcharhinus longimanus
CR
Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Australia

2
Swordfish
Xiphias gladius
LC
Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Galápagos, Ecuador

2
Strawberry squid
Histioteuthis heteropsis
NE
Strawberry squid (Histioteuthis heteropsis) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepStrawberry squid (Histioteuthis heteropsis) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepStrawberry squid (Histioteuthis heteropsis) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Monterey Canyon, California, USA

The footage shown is taken from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute's (MBARI) expeditions in the Monterey Submarine Canyon as shown in their Youtube channel video from 2017 [1]. This footage supported research into the species by MBARI alumnus Kate Thomas; her 2017 paper "Two eyes for two purposes: In situ evidence for asymmetric vision in the cockeyed squids Histioteuthis heteropsis and Stigmatoteuthis dofleini" [2] corroborates the location as being from the Monterey Canyon.
[Link 1] [Link 2]
2
Barreleye fish
Macropinna microstoma
NE
Barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepBarreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Atlantic Coast, USA

3
Lanternfish sp.
-
?
Lanternfish sp. () as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Chile

3
Humboldt squid
Dosidicus gigas
DD
Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepHumboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepHumboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Chile

4
Common fangtooth
Anoplogaster cornuta
LC
Common fangtooth (Anoplogaster cornuta) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepCommon fangtooth (Anoplogaster cornuta) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepCommon fangtooth (Anoplogaster cornuta) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Atlantic Coast, USA

5
Giant siphonophore
Praya dubia
NE
Giant siphonophore (Praya dubia) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Atlantic Coast, USA

Narration mentions this animal can get as large as a Blue Whale, which is consistent with this species
5
Dinner plate jellyfish sp.
[genus Solmissus]
?
Dinner plate jellyfish sp. ([genus Solmissus]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep

According to Wikipedia, "they are found in the deep waters of Monterey Bay, California."
5
Pelagic sea cucumber
Pelagothuria natatrix
NE
Pelagic sea cucumber (Pelagothuria natatrix) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepPelagic sea cucumber (Pelagothuria natatrix) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Atlantic Coast, USA

5
Sea toad sp.
[genus Chaunax]
?
Sea toad sp. ([genus Chaunax]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepSea toad sp. ([genus Chaunax]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepSea toad sp. ([genus Chaunax]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Pacific Coast, USA

5
Flapjack octopus
Opisthoteuthis californiana
DD
Flapjack octopus (Opisthoteuthis californiana) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepFlapjack octopus (Opisthoteuthis californiana) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepFlapjack octopus (Opisthoteuthis californiana) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Atlantic Coast, USA

6
Bluntnose sixgill shark
Hexanchus griseus
NT
Bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepBluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepBluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
The Azores, Portugal

Exact coordinates for whale fall provided in paper
[Link 1]
6
Carrier crab
Paromola cuvieri
NE
Carrier crab (Paromola cuvieri) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepCarrier crab (Paromola cuvieri) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
The Azores, Portugal

6
Toothed rock crab
Cancer bellianus
NE
Toothed rock crab (Cancer bellianus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepToothed rock crab (Cancer bellianus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
The Azores, Portugal

6
Silver scabbardfish
Lepidopus caudatus
DD
Silver scabbardfish (Lepidopus caudatus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepSilver scabbardfish (Lepidopus caudatus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepSilver scabbardfish (Lepidopus caudatus) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
The Azores, Portugal

6
Zombie worm sp.
[genus Osedax]
?
Zombie worm sp. ([genus Osedax]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepZombie worm sp. ([genus Osedax]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
The Azores, Portugal

7
Venus' flower basket
Euplectella aspergillum
NE
Venus' flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepVenus' flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepVenus' flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Galápagos, Ecuador

<-- consider removing as it is a sponge, similar to a coral, which I don't include
7
Glass sponge shrimp sp.
-
?
Glass sponge shrimp sp. () as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepGlass sponge shrimp sp. () as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepGlass sponge shrimp sp. () as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Galápagos, Ecuador

"We did an awful lot of research: I have about 250 deep-ocean scientists in my inbox on a regular basis. In my first few weeks, Alex Rogers at Oxford told me about the shrimp and the sponge. I thought: Oh my god, it's a love story in the deep ocean. We cannot leave the Galapagos without finding the Venus's [flower] basket sponge." [1]
[Link 1]
8
Giant seep mussel
Bathymodiolus childressi
NE
Giant seep mussel (Bathymodiolus childressi) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepGiant seep mussel (Bathymodiolus childressi) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
GC233 Brine Pool NR1, Gulf of Mexico, USA

Dr. Samantha Joye, the lead expedition scientist, has extensively studied brine pools in the Gulf of Mexico. In "The Gulf of Mexico: An Introductory Survey of a Seep-Dominated Seafloor Landscape (2020)" [1], she and her co-author outline the locations of several brine pools, including the pool GC233 NR1 at a depth of 650m. This is where the Blue Planet II team filmed this sequence, as corroborated by a blog post by researches at Arellano Larval Lab at Western Washington University’s Shannon Point Marine Center [2], and accompanying video [3]. The species of seep mussel found on the edges of the pool here is widely documented as being Bathymodiolus childressi.
[Link 1] [Link 2] [Link 3]
8
Caridean shrimp
Alvinocaris stactophila
NE
Caridean shrimp (Alvinocaris stactophila) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepCaridean shrimp (Alvinocaris stactophila) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
GC233 Brine Pool NR1, Gulf of Mexico, USA

The shrimp species found at this brine pool is Alvinocaris stactophila, according to the paper "Seasonality and zonation in the reproductive biology and population structure of the shrimp Alvinocaris stactophila (Caridea: Alvinocarididae) at a Louisiana Slope cold seep (2006)" [1]: "Brine Pool NR1 is located at 27°43.4’N, 91° 16.5’ W on the Louisiana Slope at a depth of 650m (MacDonald et al. 1990b)... Bubbles of methane issue from the centre of the pool. The brine pool is surrounded by a bed of mussels Bathymodiolus childressi that varies from 3 to 7 m in width and covers an area of ~540 m2 (MacDonald et al. 1990b). In addition to mussels, the brine pool seep community includes orbiniid polychaetes, neritid gastropods, gala-theid crabs and the caridean shrimp Alvinocaris stactophila (MacDonald et al. 1990a)."
[Link 1]
8
Squat lobster sp.
[genus Munidopsis]
?
Squat lobster sp. ([genus Munidopsis]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepSquat lobster sp. ([genus Munidopsis]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
GC233 Brine Pool NR1, Gulf of Mexico, USA

The paper "Chemoautotrophic Production Incorporated by Heterotrophs in Gulf of Mexico Hydrocarbon Seeps: An Examination of Mobile Benthic Predators and Seep Residents (2008)" [1] gives a good overview of the fauna of the GC233 brine pool. None of the papers I've come across have narrowed down the species of squat lobster present beyond the genus Munidopsis.
[Link 1]
8
Cutthroat eel sp.
[genus Synaphobranchus]
?
Cutthroat eel sp. ([genus Synaphobranchus]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepCutthroat eel sp. ([genus Synaphobranchus]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepCutthroat eel sp. ([genus Synaphobranchus]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
GC233 Brine Pool NR1, Gulf of Mexico, USA

The paper "Chemoautotrophic Production Incorporated by Heterotrophs in Gulf of Mexico Hydrocarbon Seeps: An Examination of Mobile Benthic Predators and Seep Residents (2008)" [1] gives a good overview of the fauna of the GC233 brine pool. None of the papers I've come across have narrowed down the species of cutthroat eel present beyond the genus Synaphobranchus.
[Link 1]
9
Sea slug sp.
-
?
Sea slug sp. () as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep

9
Sea pig sp.
[genus Scotoplanes]
?
Sea pig sp. ([genus Scotoplanes]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep

Visually similar to Protelpidia murrayi.
[Link 1]
9
Sea star sp.
[genus Hymenaster]
?
Sea star sp. ([genus Hymenaster]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep

This is almost certainly a species in the genus Hymenaster. The closest visual match I could find was from a National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) expedition to the Scholl Deep in Kermadec Trench off New Zealand [1] [2].
[Link 1] [Link 2]
9
Ethereal snailfish
[undescribed]
NE
Ethereal snailfish ([undescribed]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepEthereal snailfish ([undescribed]) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
Mariana Trench,

The paper "Fishes of the hadal zone including new species, in situ observations and depth records of Liparidae (2016)" [1] details the expedition that discovered the ethereal snailfish: "The second new species was an unexpected, solitary snailfish observed as deep as 8145 m over two deployments in the Mariana Trench."
[Link 1]
10
Hoff crab
Kiwa tyleri
NE
Hoff crab (Kiwa tyleri) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepHoff crab (Kiwa tyleri) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepHoff crab (Kiwa tyleri) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep
East Scotia Ridge,

"We visited a series of sites over the next 6 weeks along the East Scotia Ridge. ... This brings me back to those hydrothermal vent crabs in The Deep episode of Blue Plant II. The crabs live in areas where hot water pores over them which provides the conditions for the bacteria to grow. We collected the samples from the vents using a suction sampler on the ROV Isis. I then looked at the biochemical composition of the crabs and the bacteria. They were very similar. This indicated that the bacteria living on those crabs were its food source... Watching Blue Planet II the other weekend gave me a huge amount of personal pride. To sit there with my kids and my partner and show them on TV the Antarctic crab that I helped discover felt like a massive landmark in my scientific career. I was even there at the moment when the crab stuck its claw into the hot water." Source: https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/stem/tag/inspiration/
[Link 1] [Link 2]
10
Vent shrimp
Rimicaris exoculata
NE
Vent shrimp (Rimicaris exoculata) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepVent shrimp (Rimicaris exoculata) as shown in Blue Planet II - The DeepVent shrimp (Rimicaris exoculata) as shown in Blue Planet II - The Deep

Visual ID - lack eye stalks, has a clear, shiny 'V' on the body which is visible in the sequence
[Link 1]