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If you discovered this unusual animal in the ocean, you might be forgiven for believing somebody had actually flung a chicken carcass into the sea and it was bobbing along on the existing– thus its label, “the headless chicken monster.”

This weird animal is in fact a sea cucumber that lives deep below the surface area, typically listed below 1,600 feet (500 meters) and down to the seafloor.

It is a deep burgundy color, has actually webbed structures on its body for swimming and grows to a length of as much as 9.8 inches (25 centimeters)– approximately the very same size as a little roast chicken.Researchers understand extremely little about this mystical deep-sea cucumber since it is really vulnerable and quickly harmed when scientists attempt to gather samples.

It has actually been observed crawling along the seafloor utilizing appendages called “tube feet” to scoop up sediment and things it into its mouth. According to a video from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Workplace of Ocean Exploration and Researchheadless chicken beasts are attempting to draw out natural product from the sediment.

Related: See ‘spaghetti beast’ with lots of pink-tipped sausage legs swimming near Nazca Ridge

Like tilling a field, working the seafloor assists keep the environment healthy by cleaning out and aerating the sediment, according to an NOAA post by Christopher Maha zoologist focusing on invertebrates at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

This is a gruelling method to get nutrients. “You really have to pass a lot of sediment through your gut to get any nutrition out of this sediment,” an NOAA agent stated in the video.

The sea cucumber can likewise swim by holding itself upright and flapping fin-like structures that fringe the top and bottom of its body. “Although it typically spends its days gobbling up detritus among sediment grains on the seabed, the unique behavior to swim through the water column helps it avoid predators, locate to new feeding areas, and delight science teams,” an agent from Nautilus Live composed in the text accompanying a YouTube video of the animal.

This gelatinous animal is neutrally resilient however has a saucy technique to offer itself an additional lift. When it requires to remove into the water column, it often lightens the load by pooping as it swims away.

Melissa Hobson is a self-employed author who concentrates on marine science, preservation and sustainability, and especially enjoys discussing the unusual habits of marine animals. Melissa has actually worked for numerous marine preservation companies where she absorbed their understanding and enthusiasm for safeguarding the ocean. A licensed Rescue Diver, she gets her scuba repair any place possible however is excessive of a wimp to dive in the UK nowadays so tends to stay with tropical waters. Her writing has actually likewise appeared in National Geographic, the Guardian, the Sunday Times, New Scientist, VICE and more.

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