what the heck is this?

Fish & Invertebrate sightings and descriptions, hosted by resident NWDC ID expert Janna Nichols (nwscubamom).
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Grateful Diver
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what the heck is this?

Post by Grateful Diver »

One of my co-workers was catching these off his fishing boat out in the Straits. He asked me what they are. Durned if I know ... do you?

Image

Image

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
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oldsalt
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by oldsalt »

Bob: Google "salps". They are a free swimming tunicate. Someone who knows better than me may tell you I'm wrong, bit that is what they look like to me.
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by 60south »

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oldsalt
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by oldsalt »

Someone who knows better has shown up. I was unfamiliar with pyrosomes, so I googled them. They are another free swimming tunicate, closely related to salps. Because they luminesce, they are sometimes called "fire salps". In the novel, "The Highest Tide", a young kid keeps finding marine organisms that are unfamiliar to the older biologists. I understand how the old biologists feel.
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by Grateful Diver »

That's it!

Thanks ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

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Gdog
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by Gdog »

OK those are strange. And showing up in increasing numbers?!
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Grateful Diver
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by Grateful Diver »

There was another article about them yesterday ... seems to be showing up quite a lot lately ...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.4164883

... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix

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dlh
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by dlh »

I saw a bunch of these up in Browning Pass a couple of months ago. They were all over the place, saw several per dive.
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Norris
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by Norris »

**Pinch it, don't stick your finger through. You're just pinching a bigger hole.
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60south
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by 60south »

"...They’re so thick in Alaska that fishermen gave up on fishing because their hooks were coming up full of pyrosomes instead of salmon."

With enough butter and garlic anything can be delicious, yes?

But I still can't get past the idea that they look like some kind of sex toy.

Image.
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Norris
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by Norris »

Diving edmonds last night I saw a bunch of these hanging out on the West side of the big pontoon. Attached to ropes, just chilling
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60south
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Re: what the heck is this?

Post by 60south »

Also called "sea pickles" in an NPR report.

:snorkel:
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