Salps

[momsalive1]

I ran into these at the NJ beach a few weeks ago - first time I'd ever seen or heard of them. They look, and feel, like bits of jellyfish, but they aren't and they don't sting. They are chordates, and so are closely related to vertebrates (us!).



This is what I saw, individuals floating in the water, some with guts full like this one.  Evidently they often come in chains....








I ran across I blog entry talking about how they can be commandeered by an Alien looking parasite. 

Comments

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

Those are so cool! I love the picture of the coiled chain of them. Have you see wtf_nature? I just found it this week through the spotlight, and I think you'd love it.

[momsalive1]

Aren't they? I've been going to the beach all my life and it was especially nice to see something so new and different.

I'll check them out...thanks!

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

WOW, this is ALL fascinating............
Thanks for sharing it all with your flist
and meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee in particular
:-)

[lapenn.livejournal.com]

AWESOME! I want to see those.


My favorite beach thing is going out at night to comb my fingers through the sand. Sometimes, you get lucky and have bioluminescent plankton there :-)

[lanyn.livejournal.com]

Wow, those are pretty neat. I like the chains of them, and that alien-like hijacker... creepy, but cool