What's this BIZARRE animal?

[Sarah]

The diver who shot the original video is here now, let's see if the still photo matches what he remembers he saw and shot.

[The Publisher]

The more I look at the original video compared to the followup photos, the less I am convinced it is a clione.

I noticed a lack of an orange visceral sack that is consistent with all other videos and photos of a clione. I also noticed that the locomotive wings on the cliones are anterior, whereas the original video the undulating wing is medial, and it appears dorsal rather than bilateral.

Thoughts?

[SeaDragons]

Hi folks!

I am the one that shot the video. It definitely did not look like a clione, as others have said. I was thinking squid before seeing the end folded over on itself and I never did see any separation where the tentacles would be. The single "dorsal" fin also has me stumped.

Thanks for the interest! I'll keep looking and let you all know if I find out anything.

Mike

[thalassamania]

Hi folks!

I am the one that shot the video. It definitely did not look like a clione, as others have said. I was thinking squid before seeing the end folded over on itself and I never did see any separation where the tentacles would be. The single "dorsal" fin also has me stumped.

Thanks for the interest! I'll keep looking and let you all know if I find out anything.

Mike

As I said, I'm really not sure, but please do not let the lack of direct comparison to the arctic specimens that are all we have to look at (stills and the Japanese vide) dissuade you, they are all either Clione anatarcticus or Clione limnacina. It is possible that this is the only footage of this animal. I can not even find photographs of the other species known, but I will continue to search.

I can not believe that it is a squid (which was my first guess also), the single dorsal discounts that possibility.

[The Publisher]

Mike aka SeaDragon, maybe you get to name a newly discovered species!

Clione masloskii

[The Publisher]

Pterotrachea coronata aka Sea Elephant

Phylum Mollusca / Class Gastropoda / Subclass Prosobranchia / Order Mesogastropoda / Family Pterotracheidae




image credit:Ocean Oasis

You can see more photos and read about this amazing animal here

Thanks Thal for putting me on the right track, as it became a mission!

SeaDragon, that was an awesome find.

iDiveChick, thanks for locating the right image credit.

[shinek]

Well done guys, I did some really basic searches, but wasn't starting with the knowledge you guys have so got nowhere. I must have watched that video clip a dozen times hoping to spot something new.
Thanks for giving me back my work day, not sure what I'll do with it, but I'm sure management will think of something!

[thalassamania]

Well done guys, I did some really basic searches, but wasn't starting with the knowledge you guys have so got nowhere. I must have watched that video clip a dozen times hoping to spot something new.
Thanks for giving me back my work day, not sure what I'll do with it, but I'm sure management will think of something!

That's it. Good job. I've never seen one. Now that I'm in Hawaii I'll have to be on the lookout for that little sucker.

[Papa Bear]

When I saw it I knew it reminded me of a chambered nautilus! Same family! Very nice research and you beat me to it, but I was closing in! Very nice video and catch!

[thalassamania]

The Chambered Nautilus is Nautilus pompilius, that's Animalia > Mollusca > Cephalopoda > Nautilida > Nautilidae

This guy is in the Pterotracheoidea and has nothing more in common with the Chambered Nautilus than the fact that are both molluscs.