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unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)
Mon Sep 1, 2014, 09:01 AM Sep 2014

Absurd Creature of the Week: The 100-Foot Sea Critter That Deploys a Net of Death

http://www.wired.com/2014/08/absurd-creature-of-the-week-siphonophore/

Absurd Creature of the Week: The 100-Foot Sea Critter That Deploys a Net of Death
By Matt Simon
08.29.14

As far as conjoined twins go, they don’t come more famous than Chang and Eng Bunker, who in the 1800s traveled the world lecturing and generally being gawked at by rubes. They even gave us the term Siamese twins (they were from Siam, which is now Thailand). Eventually they settled down on a farm in North Carolina, married two sisters (uh…), and between them sired 21 children.

The logistics of that seem, well, a bit complicated, if not entirely awkward. There are conjoined twins in our oceans, though, that pull off something far more remarkable. These are the siphonophores, some 180 known species of gelatinous strings that can grow to 100 feet long, making them some of the longest critters on the planet. But instead of growing as a single body like virtually every other animal, siphonophores clone themselves thousands of times over into half a dozen different types of specialized cloned bodies, all strung together to work as a team—a very deadly team at that.

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Absurd Creature of the Week: The 100-Foot Sea Critter That Deploys a Net of Death (Original Post) unhappycamper Sep 2014 OP
I wonder at what depth they filmed this. BEZERKO Sep 2014 #1
Very cool! Thanks for posting. 3rdwaydem Sep 2014 #2
many astonishing images here Voice for Peace Sep 2014 #3
Thanks for the image link. Unbelievable! n/t Judi Lynn Sep 2014 #4
Never knew these critters existed. Thank you. n/t Judi Lynn Sep 2014 #5
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