Well, the Flying Spaghetti Monster may be a real thing. Followers of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster believe that this supernatural entity that created the universe is undetectable and invisible. But a team of workers at the British Petroleum claims to have captured the mythical creature on video in the deep ocean.
This Flying Spaghetti Monster is a Siphonophore
BP workers using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) off the Angola coast spotted on video a bizarre looking creature about 4,000 feet under the sea. BP engineers were working on an oil well nearby. They nicknamed this noodle-armed creature after what it resembled the most: the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the deity of the satirical religion Pastafarianism. The religion opposes the teaching of creationism and intelligent design in schools.
However, the underwater creature is not the real Flying Spaghetti Monster. BP workers passed the video to the National Oceanography Center in Southampton, England. Scientists identified it as a Siphonophore, meaning it belongs to the same aquatic animal group as jellyfish and corals. The critter is called Bathyphysa conifera.
B. conifera is a colonial animal
Scientists said these are “colonial animals.” The tightly-knit colony comprises of several different multicellular organisms known as zooids. One zooid from a fertilized egg initiates the process, and then other zooids originate from the original one until the entire animal is formed. Each zooid is like a regular animal, but they are all attached to one another to form a highly complex animal. Each of them performs a different function to keep the animal alive. For instance, one zooid specializes in catching food, another in swimming, and yet another in reproduction.
According to the New Scientists, specimens measuring up to 40 meters long have been found, making them the largest animal in the world. The so-called Flying Spaghetti Monster has sparked a huge reaction on the Internet. Approximately 300,000 people have seen the video so far.
