The recovery of a basket star in 1818 from deep waters of Baffin Bay is often cited as the first organism that was brought up from the deep sea. Yet recoveries of stalked crinoids from the Caribbean and catches of several bathyal fishes occurred decades earlier. However, these accidental catches remained largely neglected during the 19th and 20th century because the bathyal nature of these animals was not recognized, and because they were not tied to a known water depth.