Venus flytrap sea anemone is exactly as awesome as it sounds
It's a sea creature that looks like a Venus flytrap plant. What more could you want?
My favorite mood boosters on the internet are videos from the E/V Nautilus, a sea exploration and research vessel full of scientists who deliver delightful commentary on the underwater feed from a remote-operated vehicle deep beneath the waves.
My latest delight: a Venus flytrap sea anemone.
The Nautilus crew spotted this unusual anemone while checking out the eastern ridge of Ta'u Island in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa in the Pacific Ocean.
The anemone appears in a greatest-hits compilation showing the wild and wonderful animals Nautilus saw along the seafloor. First up is a shrimp, then the anemone makes an appearance. "I've never seen this before. This is so cool," one of the crew members says.
All of the critters in the video are incredible, but there's something extra compelling about the Venus flytrap anemone, which is an animal and not a plant. Like its earthbound plant counterpart, it welcomes food into its maw.
The Nautilus team posted the video on Thursday. It's one more highlight in a line of undersea sightings that have included a freaky gulper eel and a super-cute dumbo octopus.
This makes me glad I'm not a tiny sea creature wandering into the anemone's stinging tentacle trap.
