Comments on: What Is It?

By: MrInspector

MrInspector — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 20:08:11 +0000

Photos? Ummm, it occurs to me that this is in hand, at least at the time of the photograph. What happened to it?

By: oldbutnotstupid

oldbutnotstupid — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:27:51 +0000

I think we can call this one solved SEA Pen it is no doubt nice work people

By: oldbutnotstupid

oldbutnotstupid — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:23:52 +0000

Size cannot be used to judge creatures known only from the fossil record. Trilobites were once thought to be only tiny, but there are examples found recently that are bigger than a house cat. Anomalocaris was also a small Burgess shale creature until some ranging up to 6 feet have been found in China and the USA.

By: CryptoGoji

CryptoGoji — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:55:51 +0000

My vote goes for a Sea Pen. The shapes look too much alike for it to be anything else.

By: MNSRaptor

MNSRaptor — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:23:11 +0000

It’s definitely a sea-pen (pennatura phosphorea), normally found in cold water areas down to 100m depth. Name of warm water species: sibulan negros.

Kind of coral, probably imported by sticking under a boat in minor form (polyp).

greets

By: seethingcauldron

seethingcauldron — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 21:09:19 +0000

Does anyone know any more information? What depth was he fishing at?

By: raisinsofwrath

raisinsofwrath — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:05:27 +0000

To add an Opabinia does not have a bulb such as prominently displayed in the picture.

By: raisinsofwrath

raisinsofwrath — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:00:46 +0000

It looks like a type of Pennatulacea to me also.

By: john5

john5 — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 05:18:30 +0000

Sure does look like some species of Sea Pen. Apparently these soft corals show up as fossils in Cambrian Shale as well. Could this catch be a one of the Sea Pens found during the Cambrian era?

Here are 2 examples of contemporary Sea Pens from Wikipedia:

Example 1

Example 2

These soft corals plug into the ocean sediment and filter feed the water currents. They can unplug from the bottom and move to better feeding grounds.

Here is a notion that dawned on me as I was looking at the pictures. Please be forewarned as it is a bit of a tangent:

Given that corals are a collection of individual polyps, does a capability of sea pens to unplug from the seabed and move about in the water show us a group of animals making a decision agreed upon by at least a majority of the individual polyps within each Sea Pen? Maybe this is an example of a level of collective consciousness not usually attributed to these ‘lower forms’ or ’structurally simple’ forms of life!

No doubt that some form of chemical stimuli are involved in the animals relocation process. Whenever we are hungry it is a chemical stimuli that initiates the process. However our conscious mind is involved when we decide when and where to seek food and how to seek it.

To test for this ability in Sea Pens would be very difficult indeed. It is far easier to measure chemicals for stimuli than to measure thought. Especially in polyps!

It really is astonishing to learn that these animals have been around our seas for so long. We can really take a lesson from them in just how successful a group can be when they all get along!

By: youcantryreachingme

youcantryreachingme — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:46:10 +0000

Nice find. Certainly something unusual. The Opabinia suggestion, above, was interesting too - although not the best match.

Would love to see the colour photo if anyone can source it!

Chris.