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Strange animals called pyrosomes are thriving as the Pacific heats up

Sausage-shaped pyrosomes are blooming in great numbers during marine heatwaves, but their success comes at the cost of other animals, including fish

By Michael Le Page

28 February 2024

Pyrosomes thrive in warmer seas

Mark Conlin / Alamy

Strange colonial animals called pyrosomes are thriving in the north-east Pacific Ocean as it warms up, especially during marine heat waves. But according to a computer model, their success means less food is available to animals higher up the food chain, including fish.

“It could have huge implications for energy flow throughout this ecosystem, and how many fish we can catch,” says Dylan Gomes at Oregon State University.

Pyrosomes, sometimes called sea…

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