Most of the world may be under lockdown due to COVID-19, but some researchers had the opportunity to continue their research as they remain isolated in target sites or aboard research ships. They spotted a mysterious sea monster.
A team of scientists aboard a research vessel has remained isolated on the ship as they explore the Ningaloo Canyons, which are located near the Western Coast of Australia. The researchers made a remarkable discovery in the form of a weird deep-sea creature that has been classified as a siphonophore.
The strangest trait of the sea monster is represented by its weird body that has the shape of a long white string that can be encountered while arranged in spirals. It was mentioned that the specimen observed by the team is one of the largest of its kind, reaching almost 49 feet or 15 meters in diameter.
Researchers found a sea monster that frightened the Australians
At first sight, the creature appears to form one continuous string, but this is not the case. Its body contains millions of interlinked clones that come with individual abilities and can perform specific tasks. For example, some of the clones are optimized for tracking and hunting prey as they form a tentacle fitted with sharp hooks.
In most cases, colonies of this kind are quite short, with the average size being around 20 centimeters. They also tend to form a straight curtain of tentacles that will capture unsuspecting prey easily.
However, the sheer size and unusual shape adopted by the new specimen raise several questions as it is already theorized that it cannot be the only one of its kind. No method will allow the research to determine the age of the creature
But, it is known that the low temperature encountered at the deep-sea levels will slow down the development process significantly. That means that the mysterious sea monster specimen maybe hundreds of years old. Several images have been shared across social media.
