Beached Salps
Description and Comments
I've been here 15 years, and never seen salps here until about a year ago. For the 3rd time this winter I've found Thetys vagina on the beach and this week another one (or maybe the aggregate version of Thetys?). It has a very firm and projecting gut, and the atrial vent projects.
Type of organism
Other
Thetys vagina and other?
Quantity
11
Latitude
49.10
Longitude
-125.87
Condition
Dead
Comments
Yes, Thetys. Thanks for the
Yes, Thetys. Thanks for the sighting.
Thank you. I am finding it
In reply to Yes, Thetys. Thanks for the by jellywatch
Thank you. I am finding it difficult to find good descriptions/pics of separated aggregates. So, can you help me out a bit with the life history? They go through alternate sexual/asexual generations similar to hydroids/hydromedusa, but in the aggregate/chain form do they normally live, reproduce, and then die? In other words, when the aggregates are separated (presumably forcibly) do they die shortly after separation, or can they survive alone?
Also does the aggregation start as one animal, which then buds into many, or does the solitary animal release a small chain, which then grows in size? And finally, if I can ask you one more, David Wrobel says that the female aggregates are fertilized by males from another chain, are they broadcast spawners? It's hard to imagine 2 chains coming together to mate!
Andy