Photo of the Week

“A pyrosome is actually a colony of tiny creatures called zooids that live together in a tube-shaped structure called a tunic.”

Photo: Emilisa Saunders

My favorite creature find so far has been the pyrosome. While a pyrosome looks like a single, strange creature, it is actually a colony of tiny creatures called zooids that live together in a tube-shaped structure called a tunic. The tunic feels similar to cartilage, like the upper part of your ear. Pyrosomes are filter feeders, which means they draw in water from one opening, eat the phytoplankton that passes through, and push out the clean water from the other end. So far on the night shift, we’ve found two pyrosomes about four inches in length and one that was about a foot long; the day crew found one that filled two five-gallon buckets!" - Emilisa Saunders