Name of an extremely exotic marine life form

Astrodude · 27th April 2012, 08:25 PM

I recall seeing a special on Discovery Channel about unusual life forms in the sea and one of them really caught my attention. According to the special, this life form begins life as an animal like creature and develops like an animal until a certain point. At that point, it plants its head in the ground, loses its CNS, and begins to develop into a plant phase of its life. It also somehow gains chloroplasts(how this is genetically possible I don't know).

Does anyone know the name of the alleged creature?

Roadtoad · 27th April 2012, 09:11 PM

Sure. Kim Kardashian.

She's already vegged out.

Pulvinar · 27th April 2012, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by Astrodude

Does anyone know the name of the alleged creature?

Most likely the sea squirt.

Lowpro · 27th April 2012, 10:03 PM

The problem is that he says they develop chloroplasts. I mean there probably are some phytoplankton that are similar, maybe have a strange lifecycle but I don't know of any that have a CNS (or neural activity aside from eyespot-related stuff)

Pulvinar · 27th April 2012, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by Lowpro

The problem is that he says they develop chloroplasts. I mean there probably are some phytoplankton that are similar, maybe have a strange lifecycle but I don't know of any that have a CNS (or neural activity aside from eyespot-related stuff)

There are apparently tunicates (sea squirts) with symbiotic chloroplast-containing algae.

http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/PP9760133.htm

quarky · 28th April 2012, 07:33 AM

Euglenas have chloroplasts.
Slime molds can be free swimming amoebas or a conglomerate mold-like beast.
Lichens are two symbiotic organisms.

My favorite disgusting sea creature is the deep sea fish (name is lost) wherein the male is 100th the size of the female. He bites her in the nose and his body fuses into hers, releasing sperm. She then wears him as a nose appendage.

I think I could get into a relationship like that, but she'd have to be really big.

fuelair · 28th April 2012, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by quarky

Euglenas have chloroplasts.
Slime molds can be free swimming amoebas or a conglomerate mold-like beast.
Lichens are two symbiotic organisms.

My favorite disgusting sea creature is the deep sea fish (name is lost) wherein the male is 100th the size of the female. He bites her in the nose and his body fuses into hers, releasing sperm. She then wears him as a nose appendage.

I think I could get into a relationship like that, but she'd have to be really big.

Anglerfish (a few species): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglerfish

Astrodude · 29th April 2012, 06:20 PM

Thanks guys, I was thinking of tunicates!

27th April 2012, 08:25 PM	#1
Astrodude Critical Thinker Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: University of Rhode Island Posts: 360	Name of an extremely exotic marine life form I recall seeing a special on Discovery Channel about unusual life forms in the sea and one of them really caught my attention. According to the special, this life form begins life as an animal like creature and develops like an animal until a certain point. At that point, it plants its head in the ground, loses its CNS, and begins to develop into a plant phase of its life. It also somehow gains chloroplasts(how this is genetically possible I don't know). Does anyone know the name of the alleged creature?

27th April 2012, 09:59 PM	#3
Pulvinar Muse Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 820	Originally Posted by Astrodude Does anyone know the name of the alleged creature? Most likely the sea squirt.
Pulvinar Muse Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 820

27th April 2012, 10:03 PM	#4
Lowpro Illuminator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 4,539	The problem is that he says they develop chloroplasts. I mean there probably are some phytoplankton that are similar, maybe have a strange lifecycle but I don't know of any that have a CNS (or neural activity aside from eyespot-related stuff)
	__________________ "If I actually believed that Jesus was coming to end the world in 2050, I'd be preparing by stocking up on timber and nails" - PZ Myers

27th April 2012, 10:39 PM	#5
Pulvinar Muse Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 820	Originally Posted by Lowpro The problem is that he says they develop chloroplasts. I mean there probably are some phytoplankton that are similar, maybe have a strange lifecycle but I don't know of any that have a CNS (or neural activity aside from eyespot-related stuff) There are apparently tunicates (sea squirts) with symbiotic chloroplast-containing algae. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/PP9760133.htm
Pulvinar Muse Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 820

28th April 2012, 07:33 AM	#6
quarky Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,454	Euglenas have chloroplasts. Slime molds can be free swimming amoebas or a conglomerate mold-like beast. Lichens are two symbiotic organisms. My favorite disgusting sea creature is the deep sea fish (name is lost) wherein the male is 100th the size of the female. He bites her in the nose and his body fuses into hers, releasing sperm. She then wears him as a nose appendage. I think I could get into a relationship like that, but she'd have to be really big.
quarky Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,454

27th April 2012, 09:11 PM	#2
Roadtoad Bufo Caminus Inedibilis Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Gone. Posts: 15,738	Sure. Kim Kardashian. She's already vegged out.

28th April 2012, 08:18 AM	#7
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,961	Originally Posted by quarky Euglenas have chloroplasts. Slime molds can be free swimming amoebas or a conglomerate mold-like beast. Lichens are two symbiotic organisms. My favorite disgusting sea creature is the deep sea fish (name is lost) wherein the male is 100th the size of the female. He bites her in the nose and his body fuses into hers, releasing sperm. She then wears him as a nose appendage. I think I could get into a relationship like that, but she'd have to be really big. Anglerfish (a few species): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglerfish
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,961	__________________ There is no problem so great that it cannot be fixed by small explosives carefully placed. Wash this space! We fight for the Lady Babylon!!!

29th April 2012, 06:20 PM	#8
Astrodude Critical Thinker Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: University of Rhode Island Posts: 360	Thanks guys, I was thinking of tunicates!