Alexander Semenov, a marine biologist specializing in invertebrates, has closely documented this splendid creature from the oceanic depths. It’s commonly known as a sea angel, a gastropod belonging to the Clionidae family.
The Clionidae are a family of “sea angels”, so called because of the “wings” they use to move around. These “wings” are attached to the front of the body while the back is gelatinous and mostly transparent. These pteropods are only equipped with shells during the embryonic stage.
Alexander Semenov, head of Moscow State University’s “White Sea Biological Station” underwater research team, organizes and manages dives in difficult conditions. Semenov is also a professional photographer and with over 9 years of experience he mainly deals with scientific macro photography in natural environments.
During one of his ice dives in the White Sea in Russia, Semenov filmed a creature known as “sea angel”. The high-quality video reveals its beauty:
According to the biologist, their length is between 3 and 5 cm. They literally disappear as soon as the water warms up to 3-5 degrees celsius. Nobody knows where they go, but every winter they appear again under the ice.
Watch the video here:
