siphonophore

noun

si·​pho·​no·​phore sī-ˈfä-nə-ˌfȯr 

ˈsī-fə-nə-

: any of an order (Siphonophora) of colonial, free-swimming or floating, marine hydrozoans (such as the Portuguese man-of-war) that are mostly delicate, transparent, and colored and have zooids possessing specialized functions (such as feeding or locomotion)

… startling brilliance is often seen among siphonophores, gelatinous colonial animals whose different members work in unison.

—William J. Broad

Most siphonophores are small, transparent creatures of the open sea. They float at the surface among the plankton or swim actively, usually at shallow depths. As carnivores, they capture small planktonic animals in their net of tentacles.

—Stephen Jay Gould

Examples of siphonophore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike most animals that grow as a single entity, this siphonophore is a composite of thousands of cloned bodies, each specialized for different tasks. —Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024

The woolly siphonophores arrange themselves in much the same structure as the giant siphonophores, with both species sharing a similar float and a similar stem. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023

That said, the majority of siphonophores stick to the open ocean, with longer siphonophores drifting in deeper waters than shorter siphonophores, since powerful currents close to the surface can shred siphonophore colonies apart. —Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Aug. 2023

Dandelion siphonophore This potentially new species of dandelion siphonophore was imaged on the deep slopes of Rose Atoll. —Melissa Breyer, Treehugger, 26 May 2023

While many of the species discovered are likely to be on the smaller end of the scale, Virmani noted that the world’s longest sea creature was only discovered in 2020 off the coast of Western Australia — a 150-foot stringlike animal known as a siphonophore. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 27 Apr. 2023

This large siphonophore, a gelatinous creature similar to a jellyfish, wowed ocean scientists exploring the deep sea off the coast of Western Australia. —Danielle Hall, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Dec. 2020

Take the case of the deep-sea siphonophore, which makes red light to trap its prey. —Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010

Despite its powers of illumination, the prayid siphonophore itself has no eyes. —Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2019

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek siphōn + pherein to carry — more at bear

First Known Use

circa 1842, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

siphonophore

noun

si·​pho·​no·​phore sī-ˈfän-ə-ˌfō(ə)r  ˈsī-fə-nə- 

-ˌfȯ(ə)r

: any of an order (Siphonophora) of compound free-swimming or floating pelagic hydrozoans see portuguese man-of-war