Rare Video: Deep-Sea Creature Incubates Eggs on Hydrothermal Vents

In the depths of the Galápagos Marine Reserve, scientists discovered oddly shaped eggs sitting on a hydrothermal vent. The eggs belong to deep-sea skates, a relative of the shark.

Scientists believe that skates are laying eggs on these vents for a reason. Hydrothermal vents are places where super-heated water erupts out of the sea floor, usually where tectonic plates meet. The water can exceed temperatures of 400° Celsius, providing pockets of heat in an otherwise cold, deep-sea environment. I

n the cold waters of the deep sea, eggs take much longer to incubate. When eggs are placed near a hydrothermal vent, the heat speeds up the incubation process by months or years.