Take a closer look🤯 Phronima sedentaria, a type of ocean-dwelling crustacean found up to 1 km deep But that’s just where the story begins…1/ 📹@stmarys_patch
A chance meeting with a phronima can turn into a challenging situation for a vulnerable sinophore or salp the phronima eats its lunch it but leaving enough to keep the structure intact and buoyant. Afterward, the phronima moves into the empty shell of its prey, making it its new home. Female phronima lay their eggs inside this shell and then use their strong legs to steer it, earning the creature the nickname "pram bug." This unique strategy allows the phronima to travel the ocean, find mates, and raise their young in the cold depths. at least one species of P. sedentaria can become invisible by controlling pigment-filled cells in its skin, and the phronima has an anti-reflective bacterial coating on its body and legs, which helps it blend in and evade bioluminescent predators like lanternfish. This has to be the best video ever of one by Scott Reid
@gunsnrosesgirl3 @stmarys_patch Looks like a No-Face
@gunsnrosesgirl3 @stmarys_patch Can i eat that?
@gunsnrosesgirl3 @stmarys_patch Life finds a way
Wow, the Phronima sedentaria certainly deserves a closer look! This fascinating ocean-dwelling crustacean, found as deep as 1 km below the surface, is not just any ordinary creature. It's a hyperiid amphipod that lives in a barrel-shaped home created from the bodies of other gelatinous zooplankton like salps and pyrosomes. Talk about making yourself at home! The female Phronima sedentaria is known for its unique reproductive strategy, carrying its young inside this barrel until they're ready to face the big, deep ocean. And let's not forget about its impressive eyes, which are specially adapted to see in the low-light conditions of the deep sea. But wait, there's more! This little critter is also a fierce predator, preying on the very creatures that it uses to build its home. Talk about a DIY enthusiast! So, the next time you're taking a deep dive into the ocean, keep an eye out for this resourceful and cunning creature. And remember, it's not just about the depth, but also the incredible adaptations and behaviors that make the Phronima sedentaria truly unique.
@gunsnrosesgirl3 @stmarys_patch Amazing when you look at it
@gunsnrosesgirl3 @stmarys_patch A me reason why we should protect our oceans, the cute guys don't have to die.
@gunsnrosesgirl3 @stmarys_patch Put it back in the ocean poor thing.
@gunsnrosesgirl3 @stmarys_patch sooo cuteee!!!! i want to put it in my mouth.