This is the first of a series of diaries arising from "stumbling" around the blogosphere. Some things serious, some funny and some just interesting will be the subjects of them. We have lots of angst here and sometimes it is just nice to share a new discovery and relax a minute.
The Abyss is the name for eepest darkest part of the Oceans, only recently explored. New life is discovered all the time and one of the most amazing, extraordinary and very well named are Chaetopterus
pugaporcinus. The name pugaporcinus literally means "like a pigs rear". Little is known about them yet, follow me below the fold for pictures and what information there is.
In their Press Release, MBARI starts with this question:
"What lives 3,000 feet below the ocean surface, is about the size of a marble, and looks like the back side of a pig?
As accurate as that description is, it still does not prepare you for the reality:
The big question now is whether or not it is an adult new species or larval and its connection to the genus Chaetopterus - thanks to wiki for telling me its called a genus lol - which are
The worm has a segmented body, but the middle segments are highly inflated, giving the animal a round shape. These morphological characteristics are unique among chaetopterids.
They live in water about 3-4000 feet deep which is apparently below the oxygen minimum zone even when the ocean floor is actually deeper..so its got its preference in where to hang around.
From the fantastic site bogleech :
No pugaporcinus (literally meaning "like a pig's rear") have been found with reproductive organs, implying that they may represent a larval animal. They are similar in many ways to the larvae of certain tube worms, but over ten times larger
than any other species discovered. They are also found primarily over open water, far from the solid terrain that such worms would require to construct their tubes. This has led some to hypothesize that pig butts are "wayward" larvae swept to open water before they could settle down. Unable to complete their metamorphosis, they would simply continue to feed and grow until they find a suitable place to mature.
It is believed these amazing little worms float in a cloud of mucus to feed on detritus and "marine snow" -
In the deep ocean, marine snow is a continuous shower of mostly organic detritus falling from the upper layers of the water column. Its origin lies in activities within the productive photic zone.
, the mucus itself capturing the snow and bits of organic matter.
Now i have seen some amazing sea animals and land..but this little worm is a wonder which i am thrilled to have stumbled upon. Stopped me tearing my hair out on the Health care issue to for an hour or so.