Does anyone know what this is ?

[scuba_star]

Not sure what this is. We found it of Isthmas Reef on Catalina in about 60 - 70 feet.

 

[archman]

uh, really thrashed ctenophore maybe. Those little white lines look like the comb rows distinctive for them. Could also be (off the top of my head) parts of hydrozoan or scyphozoan jelly, salp, or there's a remote chance for an appendicularian "house." Yippee.

Not a pyrosome. I've got those things down cold.

 

[John H. Moore]

I'll go out on a limb and suggest a completely thrashed Leucothea pulchra... because it looks like it had brown spots and there appear to be two little "feet" (not really).

http://divebums.com/FishID/Pages/leucothea_pulchra.html

All I'd add to what archman said is: definitely not a larvacean house (appendicularian... but larvacean is fewer letters!)

 

[drbill]

I would concur with John's ID... it does looked like a thrashed Leucothea pulchra (ctenophore). Of course that's usually the condition I see them in off Catalina anyway!

Dr. Bill

 

[archman]

I'll go out on a limb and suggest a completely thrashed Leucothea pulchra... because it looks like it had brown spots and there appear to be two little "feet" (not really).

That's a great shot! Not being acquainted with that genus or species, could you elaborate anything about its size? It's looks fairly hefty.

 

[John H. Moore]

Bill, can you answer published size range? My books are all packed up...

I think it's large for a ctenophore, but not any bigger than your average individual salp, for example.

 

[drbill]

Just getting packed for Belize, but I had my Wrobel and Mills handy. They say to 25 cm (~10").

Dr. Bill

 

[scuba_star]

Thanks for all the replies.

Dr. Bill have a safe trip.

 

[H2Andy]

http://divebums.com/FishID/Pages/leucothea_pulchra.html

wow what a great site. does anyone know of an east-coast equivalent
for fish id?

thanks in advance