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Did you know there's an animal that's shaped like a sock, can grow SIXTY FEET LONG & glows brighter than the moon? Oh & they're made of millions of physically connected clones? Bonus: they're super soft filter feeders! Meet the pyrosomes!
#DailyJelly
Vid: https://bit.ly/2XhuRNz
#DailyJelly
Vid: https://bit.ly/2XhuRNz
This is the largest species of pyrosome, Pyrostremma spinosum, but many smaller pyrosome species exist, including the lovely sea pickles that sometimes show up along the US and Candian west coast! https://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6426/445
One of my favorite things about pyrosomes is that each pyrosome starts as one single individual (right at the tip) that then clones itself over and over to make the whole tube-shaped colony...
The colony acts like a single organism, even though none of the clones are physically connected to each other. No one knows how the colony is able to make decisions about where to go and what to do, but somehow it can and does. How do all the clones talk to one another?? Mystery!
If you'd like to read more about pyrosomes, I wrote an article about them here! https://www.deepseanews.com/2013/08/the-60-foot-long-jet-powered-animal-youve-probably-never-heard-of/
