A squat lobster peeks out from the branches of a black coral (Chrysopathes speciosa) seen during Dive 08 of the 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration expedition at a depth of 963 meters (3,159 feet). The team collected this coral colony for further taxonomic study and review.
Squat Lobster In Black Coral
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS: West Coast Exploration. Download larger version (jpg, 1.69 MB).

A squat lobster peeks out from the branches of a black coral (Chrysopathes speciosa) seen during Dive 08 of the 2023 Shakedown + EXPRESS West Coast Exploration expedition at a depth of 963 meters (3,159 feet). The team collected this coral colony for further taxonomic study and review.