sakuraswordly reblogged
sakuraswordly reblogged
ISS view of the pacific ocean
#pacific ocean#ocean#pacific coast#iss#international space station#interplanetary#solar system#our universe#space travel#spacecraft#space exploration#space science#space#astronomy#nasa#astronomers#universe#nasa photos#astrophotography#astrophysics#outer space#nasawebb#hubble space telescope#nasa science#planetary science#science facts#science#the universe#nasaastronaut#nasa picture of the day
sakuraswordly reblogged
The Can-do Pelican Eel
The pelican eel, also known as the gulper eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides), are the only known species of eel in the family Eurypharyngidae. They are found exclusively in the deeper parts of the water column, from depths of 500 up to to 3,000 m (1,600 to 9,800 ft), but are distributed throughout all the world's oceans.
The gulper eel is perhaps most famous for its unique body shape. Like many deep-sea fish, this species is highly adapted to its environment; maximum energy efficiency is the highest priority. To that end, the pelican eel has a large head, and a jaw estimated to be quarter of the total length of its body. The jaw is loosely hinged, meaning that gulper eels can open their mouths extremely wide. The rest of the eel, in contrast, is quite slender and long, about 0.75 m (2.5 ft) in length on average. Most individuals are black--so black, in fact, that they only reflect 0.5% of light; perfect for hiding from potential predators.
Although they look skinny, E. pelecanoides can expand their stomachs to hold prey much larger than themselves. Their primary prey consists of crustaceans and cephalopods, though they may feed opportunistically on other fish. Because it is so well camouflaged, it uses bioluminescent organs on the tip of its tail to attract prey. Gulper eels themselves are preyed upon by lancetfish and other larger deep-sea fish. To deter predators, they will gulp down a large amount of water; this stretches the loose skin around their head and throat, and inflates them to several times their usual size.
Because of their remote location, the breeding habits of gulper eels are relatively unknown. However, it is believed that smell plays a large part in attracting a mate, as pelican eels have highly developed olfactory organs. Like other eels, they're born as tiny, transparent larvae in a state known as the leptocephalus stage. At this stage, they do not have any red blood cells. Researchers aren't sure how long it takes gulper eels to become fully mature, or how long they live, but many believe that adults die shortly after mating.
Conservation status: The population size of E. pelecanoides has not been assessed, and thus the IUCN has not made a determination on its status. The greatest threat for this species is deep-sea trawling, which frequently brings up gulper eels as by-catch.
Photos/Video
EV Nautilus Team (I highly recommend checking out their 2023 highlights reel!)
sakuraswordly reblogged
BREAKING NEWS:
NOAA proposes national marine sanctuary in Papahānaumokuākea
Today, NOAA has released a draft proposal to designate a national marine sanctuary in the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea. Home to the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, threatened green turtles and many species found nowhere else on earth, the complex and highly productive marine ecosystems of Papahānaumokuākea are significant contributors to the biological diversity of the ocean.
Papahānaumokuākea is of great importance to Native Hawaiians, and Hawaiian culture is a foundational element in its management. It is also home to a variety of post-Western-contact historic resources, such as 19th-century commercial whaling shipwrecks and artifacts and those associated with World War II’s Battle of Midway.
The public is invited to comment on the sanctuary draft proposal through May 7, 2024.
sakuraswordly reblogged
Christmas Tree Worms | Spirobranchus giganteus
“Each worm has two brightly colored crowns that protrude from its tube-like body. These Christmas tree-like crowns are composed of radioles, or hair-like appendages radiating from the worm’s central spine. These appendages are used for respiration and to catch dinner, which typically consists of microscopic plants, or phytoplankton, floating in the water.
These worms are sedentary, meaning that once they find a place they like, they don’t move much. In fact, while the colorful crowns of these worms are visible, most of their bodies are anchored in burrows that they bore into live coral. When startled, Christmas tree worms rapidly retract into their burrows, hiding from would-be predators." -
(by Al@in76)
Source: flickr.com
#worm#saltwater#biology#Christmas tree worm#Sabellida#Serpulidae#annelid worms#polychete worms#segmented worms#invertebrates#marine fauna#marine invertebrates#coral reefs#coral reef invertebrates#benthic fauna#benthic invertebrates#caribbean sea#Pacific ocean#Atlantic Ocean#Indian Ocean#Indo-Pacific#Mediterranean sea
sakuraswordly reblogged
Dumbo Octopus | Grimpoteuthis
“Grimpoteuthis has one of the most unusual breeding capabilities of any marine life. Females necropsied have shown eggs in various stages of maturation which means that there is no breeding season and females can lay eggs continuously under small rocks or on shells in the deep ocean. Males have a separate protuberance on one of their arms that transports an encapsulated sperm packet into the female’s mantle. It is thought the female can utilize sperm for fertilization at almost any time.
Neutrally buoyant, they have several observed types of mobility. Flapping their Dumbo ear-like fins gets them moving with peculiar grace and ease. Expanding and contracting the webbing between their tentacles or by shooting water through their funnel cause a sudden thrust, useful for escaping a predator. Any of these methods for movement can be used separately or simultaneously. These octopus can also do the more ordinary octopus movements such as crawling on their tentacles.” -
(Photo by OurBreathingPlanet)
Source: flickr.com
sakuraswordly reblogged
do you have any pictures or facts to share about sea slugs/nudibranchs?
Imagine the sweet smell of watermelon candy… underwater???
🤔🍉🌊 Meet the lion’s mane nudibranch, a.k.a. melibe, a stegosaurus-shaped sea slug with a surprisingly sugary scent! While the fruity fragrance of this marvelous mollusk may be alluring to humans, it’s quite off-putting to potential predators, like sea stars and fish.
We don’t recommend trying to sniff while underwater, but you can find a bouquet of melibes—yes, that’s the collective noun, very spring-vibes—in the Aquarium’s Enchanted Kelp Forest, beneath the Kelp Canopy exhibit. They can also be spotted in kelp forests and eelgrass beds all the way from Alaska to Baja!
We’re shore that a nudibranch by any other name would smell as sweet! 👃
sakuraswordly reblogged
Pom Pom Crab Appreciation Post
The Pom Pom Crab, or Lybia Crab (also known as boxer crab) reside in the indo-pacific ocean, and always carry sea anemone around.
From Padi.com: "The crabs are known for their signature move of always carrying a small living sea anemone around in each of its claws, which helps them catch food and protect themselves from predators (thought to resemble pom-poms or boxing gloves)."