Massive, deadly, and elusive marine worm lurking in our oceans

Summary of "absurd creatures of the week: the 100-foot sea critter that deploys a net of death" by Matt Simon 

Matt Simon reported of a fascinating type of marine creature called Siphonophores which are made up of thousands of individual bodies all of which work together to allow the colony to function. A more familiar example of a Siphonophore is the Portuguese man o' war which has swapped the long elongated body for a gaseous sack which allows it to float along the surface. Each organism preforms a certain function acting almost like an organ. Hunter organisms dangle long tentacles which use neurotoxins to kill, envelope and digest their prey. Other organs propel, protect and reproduce for the colony. A certain species of Siphonophore had even developed red bioluminescencing lures to attract its prey. How these bodies communicate is quite mysterious because their nervous system are very simple with only one axon along the stem. Siphonophores, because of their colony oriented life, pose the important question of what individuality is within the animal kingdom.

I found this article very interesting as it poses the fascinating question of "what is an individual". It also sheds light upon this fantastically strange and almost alien creature of which I had no idea existed. The very idea of so many organisms working together to just survive is so foreign and odd that is almost difficult to comprehend. In addition, I found the authors writing style to be both informative and entertaining.

Simon, M. (2014, August 29). absurd creature of the week: the 100-foot sea
     critter that deploys a net of death. Retrieved from Wired website:
     http://www.wired.com/2014/08/absurd-creature-of-the-week-siphonophore/