Cosmic Sluggie

@cosmicsluggie

Personal blog. We hope this place feels familiar to you. I figure since I haven't been able to pin down another "fic" this whole time, I can just drop my ideas in this blog and maybe make a few new friends too. I do have the unfortunate issue of being a ghost on the internet though, so it also might not happen; we'll have to see. On Ao3 we go by the same name cosmicsluggie if that's a place you didn't come here from.

111 posts

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dispone

playstation 1 startup, 1994

mbari-blog

Up close and personal with the angler siphonophore. 🎣

Siphonophores are close cousins of jellies. They’re fragile creatures composed of individual, specialized parts connected to each other in a chain. Some parts pulse and steer the colony, others stun and ingest prey. Siphonophores thrive in the midwater where there aren’t any sharp surfaces to damage their delicate bodies. MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, have revealed a surprising diversity of siphonophores in Monterey Bay, and we’ve learned they’re important predators in the ocean’s depths.

We’ve discovered several remarkable new siphonophore species, including this especially cunning predator—the angler siphonophore (Erenna sirena). In a dazzling display of predatory prowess, it dangles luminescent lures that mimic crimson crustaceans and attract unsuspecting fishes (wait until the end to catch a glimpse of these). Zap! When a curious lanternfish gets too close, the siphonophore’s tentacles deliver a powerful sting and snare a meal.