Strange creature?

pogiguy05 · Post by **pogiguy05** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:41 pm

Just wondering what and who he is?

fmerkel · Post by **fmerkel** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:47 pm

Way weird 'thingy'. First guess (and guess it is) would be an egg mass. Never seen the like of it.
Where was it?
Fritz

gutholmj · Post by **gutholmj** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:52 pm

I'm pretty sure it was a worm of some sort. It was crawling.

Tom Nic · Post by **Tom Nic** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:01 pm

Who = Fred. What = I haven't a clue!

gutholmj · Post by **gutholmj** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:04 pm

fmerkel wrote:Way weird 'thingy'. First guess (and guess it is) would be an egg mass. Never seen the like of it.
Where was it?
Fritz

It was at Les Davis, crawling on the sand at about 40 fsw. It was about 2 inches long.

pogiguy05 · Post by **pogiguy05** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:15 pm

It kinda reminds me of something that is missing its hard shell........

ljjames · Post by **ljjames** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 8:37 pm

creepy, thats what it is...

Dusty2 · Post by **Dusty2** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:00 pm

Not sure either but I sent an email to Dr. Leslie and enhanced the pic a bit hoping it might help.

Scubie Doo · Post by **Scubie Doo** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 10:45 pm

Very strange. Kinda looks like a fireworm or something like that. Can't wait to find out.

Chenari · Post by **Chenari** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 2:08 am

Wow, that is fascinating. It looks like a shell-less Centipede or something. You're certain it was crawling? How far did it move?

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:08 am

Which end is the front? Is that a big pile of poop, or eggs next to it?
I sent the picture to Janna! But I bet about a couple of dozen divers did the same thing.
What if it's a new discovery? What would it be named? James pointed it out and Jeff took the picture.
I was just there, looking confused.

gutholmj · Post by **gutholmj** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:38 am

It had somewhat of a snail/slug looking foot on the bottom. When a light was shined on it strongly, the two ends curled slightly upward forming a shallow "U" shape. It did not move far but was moving in a direction that would make the end closest in the photo, the front. I picked it up to see the bottom. There was quite a bit of current and it readily grasped the bottom to resist the current when I set it back down.

enchantmentdivi · Post by **enchantmentdivi** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:02 am

In the big green book (Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest by Andy Lamb & Bernard Hanby), look at photograph D on page 161. Could that be it?

gutholmj · Post by **gutholmj** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:32 am

enchantmentdivi wrote:In the big green book (Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest by Andy Lamb & Bernard Hanby), look at photograph D on page 161. Could that be it?

I don't have the book. Is there a scientific name so that I can look for an alternate reference on the web?

enchantmentdivi · Post by **enchantmentdivi** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:54 am

Well, there isn't one exactly. The description says it is a "section of a large, reproductively mature polychaete worm, but most of the body is missing, including the head. The long extensions of the parapodia (appendages) would suggest that it was part of a giant fleshy scaleworm (AN38), whoses elytra (shield-like scales) are missing...blah, blah, blah....the fragment probably came from a rather large calcerous tubeworm species."

I am not saying this is what it is because I am the world's worst at ID--for sure! But, the pic in the book greatly resembles it, and there's definitely nothing else like it in the book. Can't wait to hear what the experts have to say.

Scubak · Post by **Scubak** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:20 am

olyvtx · Post by **olyvtx** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:52 pm

enchantmentdivi wrote:In the big green book (Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest by Andy Lamb & Bernard Hanby), look at photograph D on page 161. Could that be it?

+1

BASSMAN · Post by **BASSMAN** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:15 am

gutholmj wrote: I don't have the book. Is there a scientific name so that I can look for an alternate reference on the web?

WHAT?

You don't have "THE BOOK"?

Just kidding

If your coming to the dive on Monday, I will bring it with me.

You know what's worse than having "THE BOOK"?

I have it and didn't look in it yet.

Can't wait until I get home now.

I googled "section of a large, reproductively mature polychaete worm" pictures and did not find anything that looked like this thing we saw.
I did not see eyes, head or mouth but it was ALIVE!!! I saw it curl up and then lay flat as James, gently lifted it, with one finger. And I believe James said it was crawling.
But then again chickens...never mind, not the same thing.
I wonder why Andy Lamb would put a picture of, a piece of a worm, in his book?

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:29 am

It's an alien creature from the galaxy ARP 220 ... recently come to earth in search of food sources.

What food is this alien seeking? Well ... you decide ...

http://blogs.nyu.edu/blogs/cp1076/chris ... t_g_1.html

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

gutholmj · Post by **gutholmj** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:51 am

I put the second I found one under Jeff's hood near his ear so we should have a chance to see what it looks like when it matures.

I found a few photos of "giant fleshy scaleworm" and it could be but. Now I want to go back to Les Davis and try to find one again, this time with the camera.

nwscubamom · Post by **nwscubamom** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:36 pm

enchantmentdivi wrote:In the big green book (Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest by Andy Lamb & Bernard Hanby), look at photograph D on page 161. Could that be it?

Wow, sure looks like that's what it is, Jenn!
What a bizarre find!

- Janna

ljjames · Post by **ljjames** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:33 am

never... ever... ever... do a search for giant fleshy scale worm just before bed, AFTER watching a few episodes of Dr. Who.

though this thing in antarctica might be a bit similar

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... hoto2.html

Dusty2 · Post by **Dusty2** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:47 pm

Hi, Guys. Leslie wrote me back and here is her answer.

Hi Dusty --

Those pop up all the time. It's the rear section of a polychaete in
the genus Chaetopterus. They're pretty weird animals with 3 main
body sections, each of which is different from the others. The
sections break apart when the burrow is disturbed; usually the rear
stays in one place & wiggles to attract the predator that dug it up
while the anterior region crawls away. Go to
http://www.tmbl.gu.se/staff/FredrikPleijelP.html and scroll down to
the bottom - you'll see a nice image showing all 3 regions.

cheers, Leslie

gutholmj · Post by **gutholmj** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:09 pm

This sounds so completely accurate and correct that it must be a CIA coverup. I searched the Google cache and there's no history of that page prior to yesterday. I'm still going with alien invader. We'll see who's crazy when the one that crawled in Jeff's ear matures. Now where did I put my tinfoil hat?

Dusty2 wrote:Hi, Guys. Leslie wrote me back and here is her answer.

Hi Dusty --

Those pop up all the time. It's the rear section of a polychaete in
the genus Chaetopterus. They're pretty weird animals with 3 main
body sections, each of which is different from the others. The
sections break apart when the burrow is disturbed; usually the rear
stays in one place & wiggles to attract the predator that dug it up
while the anterior region crawls away. Go to
http://www.tmbl.gu.se/staff/FredrikPleijelP.html and scroll down to
the bottom - you'll see a nice image showing all 3 regions.

cheers, Leslie

oldsalt · Post by **oldsalt** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:56 pm

Dusty: Great job finding the ID of this worm. I find the statement "These pop up all the time" curious. I have never seen one and we have some pretty good observers of nature on this forum that were stumped as well. I think Jeff had a real find. I am impressed.
- Curt

Northwest Dive Club