Live Science has an article on large balls of mucus, a subject of much interest to Soylentils:
Several years ago, divers exploring the western coast of Norway encountered an object they couldn't explain: An enormous, jelly-like orb, more than 3 feet (1 meter) wide, was hovering in place partway between the seafloor and the surface. A dark streak cut through the center of the orb, but the object was otherwise translucent and totally featureless.
It was, simply put, a perfectly inscrutable blob.
Nearly 100 similar blob sightings have been reported around Norway and the Mediterranean Sea since 1985, but the mysterious gelatinous masses have always evaded classification. Now, thanks to a year-long citizen science campaign and a new DNA analysis, researchers have finally identified the blobs as the rarely-seen egg sacs of a common squid called Illex coindetii.
Yes, classification evasion, that is what it is all about.
According to a new study, published March 30 in the journal Scientific Reports, each blob may contain hundreds of thousands of teensy squid eggs, encased in a bubble of slowly disintegrating mucus. Remarkably, while scientists have known about I. coindetii for more than 180 years and have observed the species widely around the Mediterranean and both sides of the Atlantic, this is the first time they have identified the squid's egg sacs in the wild, the researchers wrote.
"We also got to see what's inside the actual sphere, showing squid embryos at four different stages," lead study author Halldis Ringvold, manager of the marine zoology organization Sea Snack Norway, told Live Science. "In addition, we could follow how the sphere actually changes consistency — from firm and transparent to rupturing and opaque — as the embryos develop."
Calamari, or Kraken, you decide!
Journal Reference:
Halldis Ringvold, Morag Taite, A. Louise Allcock, et al. In situ recordings of large gelatinous spheres from NE Atlantic, and the first genetic confirmation of egg mass of Illex coindetii (Vérany, 1839) (Cephalopoda, Mollusca) [open], Scientific Reports (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86164-8)
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 12 2021, @04:01AM
But it snot
(Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Monday April 12 2021, @04:11AM (4 children)
(Score: 2, Informative) by Mojibake Tengu on Monday April 12 2021, @05:28AM (1 child)
https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/giant-squid [si.edu]
Rust programming language offends both my Intelligence and my Spirit.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday April 12 2021, @07:51AM
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 12 2021, @06:01AM
Cover your ears, young khallow. (It's group sex! Squid orgies, with tentacles!)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 12 2021, @04:09PM
So how does a single female make a meter wide blob of mucus?
COVID?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 12 2021, @08:33AM
Ah..., now I understand his dislike for blobs. When he climbed out of the ocean a long time ago, he was so glad to keep his kin at a distance. But recently, i got sucked back again... ;)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 12 2021, @01:09PM
Speak for yourself snot-nose!
(Score: 2) by fleg on Monday April 12 2021, @01:41PM
this is why i subscribe!
(Score: 2) by EEMac on Monday April 12 2021, @02:36PM (2 children)
Gross but fascinating.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 12 2021, @10:58PM
Oh then you'll be fascinated with what grows between my toes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 13 2021, @04:27AM
Did you ever see David Attenburourgh's "Life" series from ~10 years back? The episode on fish (E04 iirc) had some equally gross things. Do watch it, but be prepared for death by bukkake.
(Score: 2) by Subsentient on Monday April 12 2021, @07:00PM (1 child)
I'm hungry for....
the forbidden JELLO.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 13 2021, @05:00AM
Well, some people think caviar is a delicacy. I consider it a rather unpalatable salty mushy goo.