ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Spire-like 150-ft-long deep-sea predator is the world’s longest creature

The expedition also collected a number of other deep-sea animals that may be new to science.

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
April 16, 2020 - Updated on March 15, 2023
in News, Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

What’s deep-sea mining? Risks and challenges of the new industrial frontier
Rare Deep Sea Creature Caught on Camera
New Hebrides trench: First pictures of unexplored deep sea
Scientists discover mysterious “dark oxygen” on ocean floor which could rewrite origin of life
Credit: Schmidt Ocean.

Australia is no stranger to bizarre and unique creatures, and nor are its coastlines. During an expedition that explored the deep sea off the continent’s coast, researchers have discovered over 30 new marine species. Among them was a siphonophore that measures nearly 150 feet (45 meters) in length. This is the longest creature that scientists have ever found.

The spire-like creature is actually made up of multiple smaller clones that are joined together, acting in unison as a single long string no thicker than a broomstick. If you were to pull and straighten this string, it would be the size of an 11-story building, twice as long as a blue whale.

Check out this beautiful *giant* siphonophore Apolemia recorded on #NingalooCanyons expedition. It seems likely that this specimen is the largest ever recorded, and in strange UFO-like feeding posture. Thanks @Caseywdunn for info @wamuseum @GeoscienceAus @CurtinUni @Scripps_Ocean pic.twitter.com/QirkIWDu6S

— Schmidt Ocean (@SchmidtOcean) April 6, 2020

This particular siphonophore, part of the genus Apolemia, was caught on film off Western Australia’s Nigaloo coast by researchers affiliated with the Western Australian Museum onboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute‘s (SOI) research vessel Falkor.

Usually, siphonophores are about 20 centimeters to a meter in size, but researchers have never seen anything this large before. The creature also employs a unique hunting strategy, coiling itself into a spiral in order to attack and catch prey.

Siphonophores, just like jellyfish, feed by dangling their stinging tentacles in the water. Sometimes, unsuspecting prey like small fish and crustaceans get stung and become paralyzed once they pass through the curtain of tentacles.

“There is so much we don’t know about the deep sea, and there are countless species never before seen,” SOI co-founder Wendy Schmidt said in the press release. “Our planet is deeply interconnected – what happens in the deep sea impacts life on land–and vice versa. This research is vital to advance our understanding of that connection – and the importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems. The Ningaloo Canyons are just one of many vast underwater wonders we are about to discover that can help us better understand our planet.”

Some of the clones specialize in catching prey. Their slender bodies hang with a single long tentacle dangling like a hook-studded fishing line. Like the frilled tentacles of another siphonophore pictured below…
(pic: @SchmidtOcean https://t.co/UIJt6aLSNn) pic.twitter.com/7nDOKFqSUZ

— High Seas Science (@RebeccaRHelm) April 6, 2020

Besides this impressive UFO-like creature, the researchers discovered dozens of other new candidate species around the Gascoyne Coast bioregion. It might, however, take many months — perhaps years given the current coronavirus situation — before they verify and formally described these new species.

Tags: deep sea

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Biology

Scientists discover mysterious “dark oxygen” on ocean floor which could rewrite origin of life

byTibi Puiu
10 months ago
Fish

11 Extraordinary Sharks That Live in Deep Sea Waters

byJordan Strickler
10 months ago
News

Submarine robots find new deep sea squid species that lays surprisingly big eggs

byMihai Andrei
11 months ago
A scuba diver going deep into the sea.
Geology

Nobody knows what’s at the bottom of Taam Ja’, the world’s deepest blue hole

byRupendra Brahambhatt
1 year ago

Recent news

AI and Brain Scans Reveal Why You Struggle to Recognize Faces of People of Other Races

May 13, 2025

Mysterious Stone Circles on Remote Scottish Island May Have Been Home to Humans Before Stonehenge Existed

May 12, 2025

People Spend $12,000 to Tattoo Their Eyes and Change Their Color but the Risks Are Still Unknown

May 12, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.