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 ...
Derp! I fish for channel cats and the carp and drum won’t leave my bait alone.
That’s an Asian carp. They are all over my fishing spots.
It looks like a bubble...interesting. Animals comes in all shapes and sizes...
I call them “Paul Ryan” and “Mitchell McConnell”.
One thing, however. DON’T CALL THE FRENCH OR JAPANESE CHEFS, OR THESE CREATURES WILL BE THE “NEW SUSHI”.
#14. If the guy said that “it had to be big”, I wonder if you really want to find it, or “it” find you.
Bon appetite.
My face discreetly buried in a book on Mars
Humdrum
And I'm waiting on the pier 'til Charon comes
Imagine that poor sap’s girlfriend...
Like Bigfoot, but even more rare and less accessible.
That is a TRUE story.
The water must be relatively warm and shallow as the scuba diver has bare hands and limited depth. 130 feet is the recommended max for recreational diving, though specially trained and equipped experts can and do go much deeper. But they can’t stay very long.
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