"propeller" macroplankton?

Unfortunately the planktons (?) are not in focus, but rather around the anthias. The things were around 10-20 mm long "poles" that seemed to have "propeller" in one end. The things were in depth of around 0 to 10 meters, in a blanket covering tens of meters horizontally. They clearly clouded the visibility in that specific area.

This is from Red Sea (El Gouna area) from April 2004. Any help in IDing the little thingies?

Br,

JPS

They are probably a siphonophore. Here's an orange one (although they're usually colourless.

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations...dia/orange.html

Siphonophores are cosmopolitan, and there are about 150 species around the world. They are carnivores, but on the puny animals.We get them here in BC in the summer and fall, when the waters are merely chilly rather than bloody cold.

Hi --

Actually, I think these animals are chaetognaths. The long straight bodies with a "propeller" at one end are typical for the group. There's none of the softness you'd see in a siphonophore. Images of chaetognaths can be found at the 2 web sites below. The first is a report on marine organisms along Lebanon (and is very slow loading); the second is a pictorial account of animal phyla from Columbia University.

Cheers,

Leslie

http://csrd.lau.edu.lb/Publications/Studen...al%20Waters.htm

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/dees/ees/...aetognatha.html

According to saltwater fish breeder Martin Moe, these are actually "damned chaetognaths." That's because they would eat his red sea P. friedmani fry...:-)

Cheers

James

Thanks everyone! Excellent drawing on the second link provided - seems these guys have eyes and all! Glad they are not any larger