A BP team doing a routine operation near an oil well off the coast of Angola has captured underwater footage of a siphonophore that bares an very close resemblance to the Pastafarian diety the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
The strange creature was captured at a depth of 1,325 meters, The Register reported. The team that caught the footage sent the recording to the office of Daniel Jones from the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, U.K.
Upon receiving the footage, Jones quickly identified the aquatic marvel as a siphonophore, which is part of a group of aquatic animals that includes corals and jellyfish. Some of these creatures reach as long as 40 meters, according to New Scientist.
Afterwards, Philip Pugh, Jones's colleague, deduced the creature as a spciment of Bathyphysa conifera, noting the lack of side branches on the tentacles.
Jones part of the SERPENT Project, has been amazed by the media reaction that the siphonophore has been getting. "This unusual creature has sparked a huge reaction on the internet with over a quarter of a million people watching the video over the last week!" he said.
"The video was sent to me by oil industry ROV pilots through the SERPENT network. It is a great example of how collaboration with industry can allow us to see much more of the deep sea and its strange and wonderful marine life", Jones concluded.
Maybe "Swimming Spaghetti Monster" would be more accurate for this "divine" creature.
