Worms or some sort of fungus on lines that is photo sensitive?

[gschaut]

We've got a few nuclear waste dumps near the Niagara River. Never seen anything like that, just a few 3-eyed fish.

[macado]

I took this with magnifying glass + phone.

[macado]

18 dollar USB microscope from Amazon

[macado]

UPDATE: They appear to be Protozoans, more specifically Ciliates. Dont have a species or anything more specific..

Protozoa are single-celled organisms and are one of the simplest forms of life. In the modern classification of organisms, the protozoa belong to the kingdom Protista along with the algae and lower fungi. The Protozoa are unique in that the single cell performs all the functions of feeding, digestion, excretion, respiration and reproduction.

Protozoans are a highly diverse group of single-celled organisms. Some protozoans are plant-like in that they contain chloropyll and so can use energy directly from the sun (producers or autotrophs); these may or may not be mobile. Many of these are classified with the algae. Other protozoans are more animal-like, getting their energy by absorbing nutrients from the environment or by consuming other organisms (heterotrophs; consumers and decomposers). Some are capable of both at once (mixotrophs). Still others include a wide variety of parasites.

https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/seagrant/.../Protozoa.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciliate

[FW]

UPDATE: They appear to be Protozoans, more specifically Ciliates. Dont have a species or anything more specific..

Protozoa are single-celled organisms and are one of the simplest forms of life. In the modern classification of organisms, the protozoa belong to the kingdom Protista along with the algae and lower fungi. The Protozoa are unique in that the single cell performs all the functions of feeding, digestion, excretion, respiration and reproduction.

Protozoans are a highly diverse group of single-celled organisms. Some protozoans are plant-like in that they contain chloropyll and so can use energy directly from the sun (producers or autotrophs); these may or may not be mobile. Many of these are classified with the algae. Other protozoans are more animal-like, getting their energy by absorbing nutrients from the environment or by consuming other organisms (heterotrophs; consumers and decomposers). Some are capable of both at once (mixotrophs). Still others include a wide variety of parasites.

https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/seagrant/.../Protozoa.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciliate

Amazing what you see while diving. Especially if you pay attention, and ask questions.

[MikeK]

Try googling Stentor, then scroll through the images. Some look very similar.
Stentor is a ciliate protist with one end tapered for attachment, the other end broad for feeding. On the broad end are tiny cilia that flow water/food into its "mouth". The cool thing is that Stentors have a contractile tail, that rapidly shorten its body during shock, in some cases due to light.

BTW, Esperanza is a really cool place to dive. The lobster, the shark, and the massive pillars of marble looming out of the darkness.

[macado]

Thanks MikeK. Meant to update it earlier but they definitely appear to be some variant of Stentor. Same exact movements that I am seeing on video of them online.

If you are familiar with Shallow / Lobster line, head towards open water section and after you make the turn around one of the marble pillars and they are all over the line in that one section.

Heading back up there this weekend. I'm waiting for new Big Blue 6500 lumen video lights to come in so I can take some better video.

[macado]

I believe they are Stentor Coeruleus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stentor_coeruleus
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5036449/

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...tb06821.x/full

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1808q8Yt1zQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ccGH8JW9F4