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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

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

The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, a species closely related to jellyfish, according to the National Ocean Service. —Megan Marples, CNN, 8 Apr. 2022

Though, amidst all the gravity of U.N. Climate Week, one delicate organism defied it—a siphonophore, which floated up the side of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City in a projection several stories tall. —Danielle Hall And Alia N. Payne, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Dec. 2021

Occasionally, a larger animal appeared—a pyrosome resembling a glowing cucumber, or a ribbonlike siphonophore with wispy stinging tentacles. —Stephanie Stone, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Sep. 2021

The man o’ war, while closely resembling a jellyfish, is in fact a siphonophore, which means it is comprised of four separate organisms that each perform a specific task, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. —BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2021

As Tessa Koumoundouros reports for Science Alert, researchers recently captured this footage of a giant Apolemia siphonophore off the coast of West Australia. —Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2020

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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