Rare Sea Angel

Sea angels are gelatinous, mostly transparent, and very small, with the largest species (Clione limacina) reaching 5 cm. C. limacina is a polar species; those found in warmer waters are far smaller. Some species of sea angels feed exclusively on sea butterflies; the angels have terminal mouths with the radula common to mollusks, and tentacles to grasp their prey, sometimes with suckers similar to cephalopods. By rowing their "wings" back and forth at 1–3 Hz, the sea angels swim at speeds up to 100 mm/s (0.22 mph). This is about twice as fast as their prey, the sea butterfly. It is not yet clear whether the sea angel uses its swimming appendages as 'rowing paddles' or as 'wings'.[3]

Tiny little things but purdy dang cool.

a reply to: waftist

Sure ... it looks all angelic. Then you read this:

Some species of sea angels feed exclusively on sea butterflies; the angels have terminal mouths with the radula common to mollusks, and tentacles to grasp their prey,

And you're like, "It eats butteflies?! Radula?! TENTACLES!!" SEA NIGHTMARE ... SEE NIGHTMARE ..."

Then you're curled up on the floor gibbering with insanity cthulhu style.



Honestly it's pretty cool though.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: waftist

Sure ... it looks all angelic. Then you read this:

Some species of sea angels feed exclusively on sea butterflies; the angels have terminal mouths with the radula common to mollusks, and tentacles to grasp their prey,

And you're like, "It eats butteflies?! Radula?! TENTACLES!!" SEA NIGHTMARE ... SEE NIGHTMARE ..."

Then you're curled up on the floor gibbering with insanity cthulhu style.

Honestly it's pretty cool though.

"We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age." - H.P. Lovecraft.

a reply to: ketsuko

Well spoken ketsuko, haha!
I had to look up sea butterfly to see what they look like...behold

a reply to: ketsuko



Yes , Nasty Little Buggers ! .Ah......

a reply to: waftist

Amazing! Always strikes me that thinking about what we might find in the oceans on another living planet would likely be no less striking amd amazing than what we can find in our own!

Now both of those animals are beautiful.... Nice posts guys and gals.

Looks so Alien.
so much more to find in the sea.
and I would call it demon as it has horns!

Could easily spend a life time seeing new animals .
matter of fact scientist estimate there could be 1 to 10 million species on earth so call it 5 million .
200 day x 27000 days apx 75 years apx 5.3 million