Siphonophores: Praya spp.
Growing over 40 m long, siphonophores in the genus Praya may be some of the longest animals in the world.
At the “front” of the animal are two swimming bells whose rhythmic contractions propel a long chain of feeding and reproductive organs through the water like a freight train. Hanging down from this chain (but not visible in this photo) are long tentacles with stinging cells that create a “curtain of death” for small jellies, crustaceans, and even fish.
Siphonophores are very abundant at times in Monterey Bay and may be the top predators in some midwater food webs.
(via: Smithsonian’s Ocean Portal)
