Miles beneath the ocean's surface, a remotely-operated vehicle called SuBastian smoothly glided up the side of an underwater mountain near the coast of Costa Rica. The eerie glow it cast ahead revealed bubblegum-pink corals scattered here and there among greenish black rocks as a crew on a ship at the surface guided SuBastian along. An otherworldly scene awaited at the peak; a treasure trove of dark, leathery pouches lay nestled amid the rocks, resembling meticulously designed props for an episode of Star Trek.
Each of the hundred or so pouches, known as mermaid purses, is the temporary home of a baby deep-sea skate — a spade-shaped fish related to rays and, more distantly, sharks. Their flat, diamond-shaped bodies flanked with wavy, wing-like fins make skates easily recognizable denizens of the deep.
