The longest ocean creature may have just been discovered near Australia and it looks like a gia
- An approximately 150-foot long siphonophore — possibly the longest ocean creature ever recorded — was recently discovered off the coast of Australia.
- Siphonophores are made up of tiny individual zooids, or clusters of cells that can clone themselves thousands of times and string together as one large, floating creature.
- The discovery was made by the Schmidt Ocean Institute using an underwater robot that's able to explore parts of the sea that have never been touched.
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Scientists were amazed when the massive creature floated beneath their research vessel in the depths of the ocean near Western Australia. Some compared it to a UFO, while others thought it looked like a giant heap of silly-string.
The discovery was breathtaking on many counts — it was the first siphonophore sighting in that area, and possibly the longest ocean creature ever recorded.
At an estimated 150-feet long, the creature is made up of thousands of individual cells that string together to form one, holistic living animal.
—Schmidt Ocean (@SchmidtOcean) April 6, 2020Researchers at the Schmidt Ocean Institute were able to discover this floating creature with the help of a remotely piloted underwater robot called SuBastian.
The team has set out on a year-long expedition to explore Australia and the Pacific Ocean in order to discover unidentified species and understand new ways to protect fragile marine ecosystems.
These incredible photos from Schmidt Ocean Institute and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration give a deeper look into the fascinating world of these diverse, underwater species.
Siphonophores are made up of colonies of zooids, or clusters of individual cells that clone themselves thousands of times to form one large, connected being. There are thought to be roughly 180 different species of siphonophores.
Source: New York Times, National Geographic
Like other animals, siphonophores begin with a single fertilized egg, which develops into a small larva that forms functions such as a mouth and tentacles. Then, as it continues to evolve and elongate, smaller buds begin growing off of it to create different functional parts.
Source: Wired
Each zooid that makes up a siphonophore is an individual animal. But when formed together, each part of a siphonophore adapts to fill a specialized role — whether it be for eating, reproduction, or attracting prey.
Source: National Geographic, Monterey Bay Aquarium
However, each individual zooid would not be able to reproduce or survive on its own. In this way, it's helpful to think of these individual organisms as smaller organs that make up a greater body.
Source: National Geographic
Because siphonophores function as multiple parts of a whole, they challenge the notion of individuality. Though the entire colony looks like one animal, it's tricky to classify siphonophores as one organism since they're comprised of so many different living individuals.
Source: Wired, Siphonophores.org
Siphonophores are members of the animal group Cnidaria, which includes jellyfish, corals, and other stinging creatures. Though siphonophores aren't actually types of jellyfish, they're commonly mistaken to be.
Source: University of California, Berkeley Museum of Paleontology
A good example of this is The Portuguese Man-of-War, a famously venomous siphonophore that's commonly mistaken for a jellyfish. These creatures are made up of four polyps that work together.
Source: National Geographic
Though the Cnidaria group evolved half a billion years ago, siphonophores have a very simple nervous system. Scientists are still perplexed about how each zooid is able to colonize to act as one cohesive animal.
Source: Wired
Siphonophores "have along the stem one long axon, which probably propagates signals from one end of the colony to the other," marine biologist Stefan Siebert told Wired. "But how they coordinate all this and how the whole colony appears to act as an animal, it's really not well understood."
Source: Wired
While most siphonophores consist of a long, gelatinous material, some are transparent with beautiful bright colors. Some species can even be bioluminescent, meaning they can illuminate and glow blue or green when disturbed.
Sources: Siphonophores.org, Monterey Bay Aquarium
In 2005, one species of siphonophore was discovered to transmit a glowing red light, which allows it to resemble a type of crustacean that lures in numerous types of deep-sea fish.
Source: Wired
Siphonophores are thought to be among the longest creatures on earth. The most recent discovery by Schmidt Ocean Institute suggests that the siphonophore found off the coast of Australia is the longest recorded marine creature, at an estimated 150 feet.
Source: New York Times
For perspective, blue whales, which are considered the largest living animals, are roughly only 100 feet long.
Source: New York Times
Some siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war can live at the surface of the ocean, while others remain at the sea floor. However, most siphonophores exist as active swimmers in the open ocean.
Source: Siphonophores.org
All species of siphonophores are predatory creatures, and some are able to sting their prey. They typically feed through tentacles, which dangle in the water and catch small fish or crustaceans.
Source: Wired, Siphonophores.org
Since they're made up of many parts, siphonophores are incredibly fragile creatures. In rough seas, their colonies may be torn apart.
Sources: Siphonophores.org, Wired
Siphonophores can come in numerous shapes and sizes. This orange siphonophore is known as a "dandelion animal," which gets its name for its glowing flower-like appearance as it hovers above the ocean floor.
Source: NOAA
The siphonophore found off of the coast of Western Australia was an Apolemia Siphonophore, which is found in the deep sea. This giant one was documented with the help of an underwater robot named SuBastian.
Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, New York Times
Using this underwater technology, the Schmidt Ocean Institute is able to explore areas around Australia — including deep-sea canyons and coral reefs — that have never been observed before.
Source: Schmidt Ocean Institute
The siphonophore was found some 2,000 feet below the research vessel and left the scientists astounded. "It looked like an incredible U.F.O.," Dr. Wilson, a senior research scientist at the Western Australian Museum told the New York Times.
Source: The New York Times
As part of a year-long initiative to explore Australia and the Pacific Ocean, the research team made the discovery on a one month journey to explore the submarine canyons near Ningaloo, a World Heritage site off the West Coast of Australia.
Source: Schmidt Ocean Institute, Ningaloo
In addition to the siphonophore, the team also discovered up to 30 new species and collected over 180 hours of underwater footage.
Source: Schmidt Ocean Institute, New York Times
"We suspected these deep-sea areas would be diverse but we have been blown away by the significance of what we have seen," Chief Scientist Dr. Nerida Wilson said in a press release.
Source: Schmidt Ocean Institute
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