Giant Pyrosome and Salps - pelagic sea squirts

Pyrosomes and salps are pelagic (free-swimming) tunicates or sea squirts. All species are open ocean animals that rarely come close to shore, and all are colonial, although many salps can also be solitary. Pyrosomes are colonies of tiny animals that form hollow tubes sealed at one end - the long tube species in the first part of the video is giant pyrosome Pyrostremma spinosum - it can reach 30m in length! Pyrosomes get their name (Pyro = fire soma = body) from their ability to emit light (bioluminesce