Dandelion Siphonophore
Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts.. Download (mp4, 18.0 MB)

Even though they are rare, we saw dandelion siphonophores, including this one, on three dives during this expedition. Although they may look like a single organism, siphonophores are actually colonial, with many zooids attached and functioning together. For example, you can see the zooids near the top of the siphonophore pumping water, allowing the siphonophore to move through the water column.