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Pyrosomes are colonial tunicates made up of thousands of individuals known as zooids. Each zooid is housed in the common gelatinous tunic that makes up the larger cylindrical “body” of the pyrosome. Zooids filter phytoplankton through branchial baskets by creating feeding currents through the tunic. Although each zooid is only a couple of millimeters in size, pyrosomes can reach up to several meters in length. While alive, these organisms spend the majority of their time in the upper water column, but their remains have been found as deep as 4,000 meters (13,120 feet), where they provide food for a variety of deep-sea animals.
Pyrosomes are bioluminescent, producing brilliant blue-green light. Each zooid can detect light and emit light in response, creating waves of bioluminescence up and down the organism’s body. The bioluminescence of one pyrosome can trigger others in surrounding waters, producing beautiful light shows. The name Pyrosoma comes from the Greek term meaning “fire body.”
Galiteuthis phyllura, also known as the cockatoo squid, lives in the North Pacific from 200 to over 1,000 meters (660 to 3,280 feet) deep. This species has a transparent body and photophores, or light organs, under their eyes. We often encounter them hanging horizontally in the water column with their arms raised above their heads.
it’s so gorgeousss 😍😍 i love siphonophores
Siphonophores are close cousins of jellies. They’re fragile creatures composed of individual, specialized parts connected to each other in a chain. Some parts pulse and steer the colony, others stun and ingest prey. Siphonophores thrive in the midwater where there aren’t any sharp surfaces to damage their delicate bodies. MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, have revealed a surprising diversity of siphonophores in Monterey Bay, and we’ve learned they’re important predators in the ocean’s depths.
We’ve discovered several remarkable new siphonophore species, including this especially cunning predator—the angler siphonophore (Erenna sirena). In a dazzling display of predatory prowess, it dangles luminescent lures that mimic crimson crustaceans and attract unsuspecting fishes (wait until the end to catch a glimpse of these). Zap! When a curious lanternfish gets too close, the siphonophore’s tentacles deliver a powerful sting and snare a meal.
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