All articles tagged with #cnidarian
NOAA and Smithsonian researchers solved the mystery of the Gulf of Alaska’s 4-inch golden orb found in 2023, revealing it as a remnant of the base tissue of Relicanthus daphneae, a deep-sea cnidarian (sea anemone), identified through genetic sequencing and laboratory analysis rather than any exotic origin.
A 10 cm golden orb found at 3,250 meters depth in the Gulf of Alaska was identified as a shed cuticle from Relicanthus daphneae, a deep-sea anemone, not an egg case. Genomic sequencing linked it to the species, revealing the orb is a chitin-rich cuticle that the animal may leave behind during movement or incomplete asexual reproduction (pedal laceration). The discovery also notes the cuticle hosts microbes, suggesting a micro-scale hotspot on the seafloor and offering clues about deep-sea biology and reproduction.
A glowing tropical drifter called the blue button jelly (Porpita porpita) challenges easy classification: it’s a cnidarian that isn’t clearly a jellyfish or a true colony, likely a quasi-colonial organism with a central stomach, a blue float, and tentacles used for feeding, defense, and reproduction as it drifts at the ocean surface. Scientists note its structure and lifestyle remain debated, and its blue-dragon predators like Glaucus harvest its stinging cells for protection.