Thaliacea Van der Haeven 1850

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Description: Large pelagic colonial tunicate, can be as long as 10-20m. Pyrosomas are characteristcally open at one end and form a point at the other. Unable to identifiy this species of Pyrosoma from these images but this example bears quite a close similarity to Pyrosoma spinosum which is found in the Gulf of Mexico. Item Type: Image Title: Pyrosoma sp. Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Pyrosoma sp. Behaviour: Suspended in the water column Site: Atlantic -- South Atlantic -- Block 31 Site Description: Midwater Depth (m): 856.08 Latitude: 6 deg 12' 21" S Longitude: 13 deg 43' 07" W Countries: West Africa -- Angola Rig: Seven Seas Project Partners: BP, Subsea 7 Deposited By: Miss Moira MacLean Deposited On: 09 December 2010

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Description: Large pelagic colonial tunicate, can be as long as 10-20m. Pyrosomas are characteristcally open at one end and form a point at the other. Unable to identifiy this species of Pyrosoma from these images but this example bears quite a close similarity to Pyrosoma spinosum which is found in the Gulf of Mexico. Item Type: Image Title: Pyrosoma sp. Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Pyrosoma sp. Behaviour: Suspended in the water column Site: Atlantic -- South Atlantic -- Block 31 Site Description: Midwater Depth (m): 856.08 Latitude: 6 deg 12' 21" S Longitude: 13 deg 43' 07" W Countries: West Africa -- Angola Rig: Seven Seas Project Partners: BP, Subsea 7 Deposited By: Miss Moira MacLean Deposited On: 09 December 2010

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Description: Large pelagic colonial tunicate, can be as long as 10-20m. Pyrosomas are characteristcally open at one end and form a point at the other. Unable to identifiy this species of Pyrosoma from these images but this example bears quite a close similarity to Pyrosoma spinosum which is found in the Gulf of Mexico. Item Type: Image Title: Pyrosoma sp. Copyright: SERPENT project Species: Pyrosoma sp. Behaviour: Suspended in the water column Site: Atlantic -- South Atlantic -- Block 31 Site Description: Midwater Depth (m): 856.08 Latitude: 6 deg 12' 21" S Longitude: 13 deg 43' 07" W Countries: West Africa -- Angola Rig: Seven Seas Project Partners: BP, Subsea 7 Deposited By: Miss Moira MacLean Deposited On: 09 December 2010

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

Description: A salp floating in the water column in the Gulf of Mexico Item Type: Video Title: A salp in the Gulf of Mexico Species: Salpa fusiformis Behaviour: Floating in water column Site: Atlantic -- Gulf of Mexico -- Green Canyon 821 Site Description: Midwater Depth (m): 612 Latitude: 27 deg 09' 20" N Longitude: 90 deg 29' 43" W Countries: Mexico -- Gulf of Mexico Habitat: Water temp 6.35 degrees celcius Rig: Transocean Marianas Project Partners: BP, Oceaneering, Transocean ROV: Millennium Deposited By: Rob Curry Deposited On: 17 May 2007

All Biocode files are based on field identifications to the best of the researcher’s ability at the time.

This is the cloned, sexual phase of a pelagic tunicate. The individuals, each a sequential hermaphrodite, lie in a double chain oriented back to back. Eventually the chain will break apart and each individual will sexually produce an asexual solitary salp. Inconceivably large numbers of aggregate salps can cover hundreds of square miles of ocean.

Salp Tethys species

Salp Tethys species

Salp Tethys species close up