Deep Sea Explorers Stumble Upon A Creature They
Can Hardly Believe Is Real:
Stunning
Siphonophore
While
there’s no shortage of weird and wacky ideas in science fiction about what
creatures from other planets might look like, few are quite as remarkable as
those that can actually be found right here on Earth.
Recently, a
team from the Nautilus Live expedition piloting a remotely operated vehicle
(ROV) happened upon one of the most fascinating-looking lifeforms in the world
-- this rare, purple siphonophore roving through the ocean’s depths. Even the
experienced deep sea explorers, well-acquainted with the marine animals, had a
hard time accepting that what they were seeing was really real. “Wow. Okay,
that’s awesome,” says one ROV operator. “I can’t believe that’s a living
thing.”
Amazingly,
although this appears to be a single jellyfish-like animal, it is in fact a
roving colony made up of thousands of individual organisms, called zooids, each
contributing to the whole. But more than just its otherworldly shape, this
specimen's purple coloring is said to be rather unusual as well.
Deep Sea
News writer R.R. Helm calls it a “shocking shade”, remarking that this footage truly
stands out:
“To me, the best part of
science is stuff like this: seeing something that completely takes my breath
away. Even after studying animals like this for the last five years, this video
has me in awe. The animal captured in this footage, simply put, is
stunning.”
Amazingly,
although this appears to be a single jellyfish-like animal, it is in fact a
roving colony made up of thousands of individual organisms, called zooids, each
contributing to the whole. But more than just its otherworldly shape, this
specimen's purple coloring is said to be rather unusual as well.
Learn more watching the following video:
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