The carnivorous sea squirt is one of many new deep-sea creatures found by U.S. and Australian scientists exploring southern Australia's Tasman Fracture Zone in January 2009. Found on the seafloor, 13,143 feet underwater, the 20-inch sea squirt is said to trap fish and other prey in their funnel-like front section, much like a Venus fly trap. Most of the 2,000 known species of sea squirts are not predatory and filter their food, usually plankton, from the seawater.National Geographic: Bizarre Species Found... (January 18, 2009)
Quotes
Our sampling documented the deepest known Australian fauna, including a bizarre carnivorous sea squirt, sea spiders and giant sponges, and previously unknown marine communities dominated by gooseneck barnacles and millions of round, purple-spotted sea anemones."—Ron ThresherCosmos Magazine: Carnivorous sea squirt... (January 19, 2009)
Modern-day deep-water coral reefs were also found, however, there is strong evidence that this reef system is dying, with most reef-forming coral deeper than 1,300 metres newly dead.—Ron ThresherCosmos Magazine: Carnivorous sea squirt... (January 19, 2009)
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One of the deepest dwelling animals ever found in AustraliaNational Geographic: Bizarre Species Found... (January 18, 2009)
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The sea squirt was found by scientists studying the Tasman Fracture ZoneNational Geographic: Bizarre Species Found... (January 18, 2009)
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The four week expedition, which ended on January 17, 2009, was a collaboration between U.S. and Australian scientistsNational Geographic: Bizarre Species Found... (January 18, 2009)
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The expedition's lead scientist was Ron Thresher of Australia's CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric divisionCosmos Magazine: Carnivorous sea squirt... (January 19, 2009)
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Thresher says the expedition's objective was to "search for life deeper than any previous voyage in Australian waters"Cosmos Magazine: Carnivorous sea squirt... (January 19, 2009)
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Expedition scientists say they found new indications of the impact of global warmingCosmos Magazine: Carnivorous sea squirt... (January 19, 2009)
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The expedition used a submersible car-sized robot named Jason to explore the Tasman Fracture ZoneCosmos Magazine: Carnivorous sea squirt... (January 19, 2009)
