[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EQGA_4BZ5s&w=420&h=315]

I bet you are thinking what the heck is that thing? Is it a big tubular piece of plastic or is it a giant silicone siphon tube? But you may be surprised to know that it is in fact a Pyrosome, whose name means ‘fiery body’. And while it looks like one large creature (or a large plastic tubing), it is actually a colony comprised of many little creatures called Zooids. Each Zooid is only a few millimeters in size, but they are embedded in gelatinous tunic that holds all the Zooids together. Each Zooid contains a pair of light organs, which make the colony appear bio-luminescent. “One long Pyrosome is actually a collection of thousands of clones, with each individual capable of copying itself and adding to the colony,” writes marine biologist Rebecca Helm in Deep Sea News. This footage was captured in Tasmania, Australia. .MORE