This Animal Makes Blue Whale Look Like A Baby
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1 July 2024
In 2020, scientists exploring the deep sea western coast of Australia discovered 30 potentially new species of marine creatures
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One of them was a massive spiraling siphonophore, estimated to be about 150 feet (nearly 46 metres) long
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The marine creature even beats blue whale in terms of length, which is widely held to be the largest animal to have ever existed
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It is about twice as long as many blue whales, and three times as long as a humpback whale
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Prior to this discovery, the longest marine organism ever known was the lion's mane jellyfish, which is up to 120 feet (36 metres) long
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The siphonophore is not a single creature but a colony, composed of interconnected units called zooids. Each zooid performs a specific role, such as reproduction, hunting, or digestion
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They look like jellyfish and belong to the same group of animals, but they build their bodies in a unique way – more like hundreds of tiny jellyfish stuck together
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The spiral arrangement of siphonophores is such that it helps them catch their preys by spreading their tentacles
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Numerous stinging tentacles create a "wall of death" in the water, trapping small prey, including crustaceans and fish
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Dr Nerida Wilson, who led the month-long research voyage in the Indian Ocean and spotted the Siphonophore, said that it looked "like a UFO"
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