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Mysterious Deep-Sea Animal Rediscovered after 116 Years
SCI NEWS ^ | Dec 6, 2016 | Natali Anderson

Posted on 12/07/2016 5:41:09 PM PST by nickcarraway

Bathochordaeus charon — an extremely rare species of giant larvacean — has been rediscovered, more than a century after the only previous known specimens of the species were found.

Larvaceans are solitary, free-swimming tunicates, animals with a primitive spinal cord but no real backbone.

These fragile animals are usually less than 0.4 inches (1 cm) in length, but some giant larvaceans in the deep sea grow up to 3.5 inches (9 cm) long.

In 1900, German marine biologist Carl Chun identified the first giant larvacean, Bathochordaeus charon.

Scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) were next to document this species, 116 years later, after a routine sample collection turned extraordinary.

“Larvaceans in the genus Bathochordaeus are large, often abundant filter feeders found throughout much of the world ocean,” the researchers said.

“The first described species, Bathochordaeus charon, was reported over 100 years ago by Chun.”

(Excerpt) Read more at sci-news.com ...


TOPICS: Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Science
KEYWORDS: deepsea
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1 posted on 12/07/2016 5:41:09 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

animals with a primitive spinal cord but no real backbone.

We call them RINO


2 posted on 12/07/2016 5:42:48 PM PST by al baby (Hi Mom Its a Joke friends)
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To: nickcarraway

How do they taste?


3 posted on 12/07/2016 5:43:12 PM PST by Buttons12
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To: Buttons12

Like chicken.


4 posted on 12/07/2016 5:43:36 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Je Suis Pepe)
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To: nickcarraway
"It's a giant larvaceans! My God it's huge! To think it could get so big! Unbelievable!"
"How big is it?"
"3.5 inches!"
5 posted on 12/07/2016 5:49:10 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (Abortion is what slavery was: immoral but not illegal. Not yet.)
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To: nickcarraway

[ Larvaceans are solitary, free-swimming tunicates, animals with a primitive spinal cord but no real backbone. ]

I wonder if they drain the swap in DC if they will find more of these critters?????


6 posted on 12/07/2016 5:52:54 PM PST by GraceG (Only a fool works hard in an environment where hard work is not appreciated...)
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To: nickcarraway

So glad they finally found that... It was getting hard to sleep at night thinking about it.


7 posted on 12/07/2016 5:55:21 PM PST by Bullish (The fly on Hillary's forehead knows)
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To: Buttons12

Like my Charon-a


8 posted on 12/07/2016 5:56:41 PM PST by jurroppi1 (The only thing you "pass to see what's in it" is a stool sample. h/t MrB)
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To: nickcarraway
"...but some giant larvaceans in the deep sea grow up to 3.5 inches (9 cm) long."

Three-and-a-half inches?

Wake me up when you catch a KRAKEN!!!


9 posted on 12/07/2016 6:00:43 PM PST by PLMerite (Lord, let me die fighting lions. Amen.)
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To: GraceG
Whatever happened to the Coelocanth?

Did it go extinct again?

10 posted on 12/07/2016 6:06:01 PM PST by publius911 (IMPEACH HIM NOW evil, stupid, insane ignorant or just clueless, doesn't matter!)
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To: Buttons12
How do they taste?

RINO's? Putrid and gamey. No spine and the flesh is corrupt.

11 posted on 12/07/2016 6:08:46 PM PST by AndyJackson
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To: al baby

I think today we should call them RyanOs.


12 posted on 12/07/2016 6:14:10 PM PST by VomitPingPong
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To: publius911
Whatever happened to the Coelocanth?

Did it go extinct again?"

Trump Fish restaurant in Kurdistan is currently working on making the coelocanth great again!

13 posted on 12/07/2016 6:17:31 PM PST by Boogieman
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To: ClearCase_guy

Yeah - that’s what I thought too! (I guess it is all relative).

I was hoping this was about some creature I recall hearing on some TV show where they now use the submarine detection network to follow whale migrations, etc. They had a clip with a bunch of different sounds and the guy saying things like “That’s a humpback between Alaska and Russia, that’s a gray whale about 100 miles off of California, etc.”

Then he played a clip of a sound that seemed to me to be a cross between something organic and electrical - like some monster from Star Trek, very high frequency. The guy said “That is coming from xx thousands of feet deep in the Indian Trench. We have no idea what it is - but it has to be big.” I’ve tried to find it on youtube but can’t. It was really odd. (Of course some of those whale sounds are almost alien-like too).


14 posted on 12/07/2016 6:19:34 PM PST by 21twelve (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185147/posts It is happening again.)
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To: al baby
"Larvaceans are solitary, free-swimming tunicates, animals with a primitive spinal cord but no real backbone."

Like sensitive progressive college snowflakes!

15 posted on 12/07/2016 6:20:23 PM PST by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: al baby

“animals with a primitive spinal cord but no real backbone.

We call them RINOs”

LOL! There is nothing as despicable as someone who professes a core philosophy and then does exactly the opposite.


16 posted on 12/07/2016 6:21:44 PM PST by WMarshal ( Schadenfreude, it feels so good!)
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To: nickcarraway

Great googlie-ooglies!


17 posted on 12/07/2016 6:28:02 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: nickcarraway

CTHULU


18 posted on 12/07/2016 6:31:57 PM PST by Read Write Repeat
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To: Boogieman

Carp!


19 posted on 12/07/2016 6:36:25 PM PST by CivilWarBrewing (Females DESTROYED America.)
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To: nickcarraway

More than a century, eh?

You gotta wonder, with the increasing degradation of the earth environment, including excessive warming, etc. ... how could this be possible? Such a delicate thing!


20 posted on 12/07/2016 7:28:17 PM PST by dr_lew (I)
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