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A Galaxy Not So Far Away

A galaxy siphonophore observed during Dive 672.
A galaxy siphonophore observed during Dive 672. Photo: ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute under CC BY-NC-SA

This otherworldly entity is a galaxy siphonophore, found on the northern flank of Motu Motiro Hiva, an uninhabited island along the Salas y Gómez Ridge. These marine animals are related to jellyfish and are composed of individual clones banding together as a colony.