PHOTOS: ''Bizarre'' Species Found--Predatory Squirt, More

nationalgeographic ^ | January 18, 2009 | Carolyn Barry

[JoeProBono]

An oddity among oddities, this newly discovered carnivorous sea squirt traps fish and other prey in its funnel-like front section, scientists announced today. Most of the 2,000 or so known sea squirt species are filter feeders that strain plankton from seawater. Tethered to the seafloor 13,143 feet (4,006 meters) underwater, the 20-inch (50-centimeter) sea squirt, or ascidian, is one of the deepest-dwelling animals ever found in Australia. The new species is one of many new deep-sea creatures discovered on a recent expedition that used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) near southern Tasmania, Australia. The joint U.S.-Australian endeavor explored the Tasman Fracture Zone, a crack in Earth's crust 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to more than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep.

[JoeProBono]

WoW! That's neat.

[JoeProBono]

[Daffynition]

Echo Lake in Yosemite.

[JoeProBono]

Flowers by Echo Lake Yosemite

[Hot Tabasco]

I don’t think a movie titled “Attack of the mutant sea squirts” is going to get a lot of movie goers......

[JoeProBono]

Ya think?

[RichInOC]

Sounds like porn.