Pigs can’t fly but maybe they can..swim?
The ocean harbors an astonishing diversity of life, including some of the most bizarre and extraordinary creatures on Earth. Life has existed in the sea longer than on land, and with oceans covering 71% of the planet’s surface¹, it should come as no surprise to discover organisms you never would have imagined to exist.
Pigs may not be able to fly, but swimming is another matter. The species known as Scotoplanes sp. are fondly called ‘sea pigs’ due to their appearance as small, plump, and soft-bodied creatures with short, dark spines sticking out of their bodies. Some of these are actually their tube feet, which they use to amble along the bottom of the ocean². Sea pigs live deep in the ocean, more than 1000 meters in depth so studying these creatures in their natural habitat can be a bit of an encumbrance³.
Scotoplanes spp. might not be the most renowned or glamorous deep-sea creatures, but their presence is a testament to the wonders that lie beneath the waves. Their existence reminds us of the boundless diversity and beauty of our oceans, urging us to protect and preserve these precious habitats for generations to come. So, the next time you gaze out at the vast ocean, know that it holds within its depths a world of weird and wonderful surprises — where (sea) pigs can’t fly, but they sure can swim!
To know more about sea pigs, visit SeaLifeBase.
Written by: Jasper Mendoza, Research Assistant
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[1] Seibel BA, Drazen JC. The rate of metabolism in marine animals: environmental constraints, ecological demands and energetic opportunities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2007 Nov 29;362(1487):2061–78. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2007.2101.
[2] LaDouceur EEB, Kuhnz LA, Biggs C, Bitondo A, Olhasso M, Scott KL, Murray M. Histologic examination of a sea pig (Scotoplanes sp.) using bright field light microscopy. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 2021; 9(8):848. doi: 10.3390/jmse9080848.
[3] Barry JP, Taylor JR, Kuhnz LA, De Vogelaere AP. Symbiosis between the holothurian Scotoplanes sp. A and the lithodid crab Neolithodes diomedeae on a featureless bathyal sediment plain. Marine ecology. 2017;38(2):e12396.
