Extreme fishing in the deep sea. 🎣
This intricate gelatinous animal, armed with powerful stinging tentacles, is the fish-eating siphonophore, Erenna laciniata. The individuals that comprise the front half of this colonial animal are specialized for swimming and those in the back, for reproduction and feeding. It attracts prey by wiggling an array of bioluminescent lures. The main part of the tentacle, with its tentilla, can be extended from the stem on a long peduncle as a lure. The lures wriggle in an uncoordinated manner. These unusual creatures are too fragile to survive traditional collection methods—they completely fall to pieces in nets. Scientists are just beginning to learn more about them using remotely operated vehicles that allow us to carefully observe them in their natural habitat. They are typically found at average depths of 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) and can grow to be 45 centimeters (1.5 feet) or longer.
