Deep-Sea Golden Orb Turns Out to Be Anemone Skin Left Behind by Relicanthus daphneae
A 10 cm golden orb found at 3,250 meters depth in the Gulf of Alaska was identified as a shed cuticle from Relicanthus daphneae, a deep-sea anemone, not an egg case. Genomic sequencing linked it to the species, revealing the orb is a chitin-rich cuticle that the animal may leave behind during movement or incomplete asexual reproduction (pedal laceration). The discovery also notes the cuticle hosts microbes, suggesting a micro-scale hotspot on the seafloor and offering clues about deep-sea biology and reproduction.