New carnivorous sea squirt discovered

 News 2009 01 Photogalleries Deepsea Images Primary 090116-Deepsea-1 Big

This character is a newly discovered sea squirt that, unlike almost all other sea squirt species, eats meat. Its "mouth" is the funnel-shaped structure that traps fish inside. The 20-inch creature was found at a depth of 13,143 feet near southern Tasmania, Australia. It's one of several animals recently discovered in the region by a team Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and the California Institute of Technology. From National Geographic:

The four-week voyage, which ended on January 17, 2009, found evidence that global warming may be linked to dying coral reefs in the ocean depths, expedition members say.

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