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Everyone knows that the deep sea is dark and full of nightmare creatures, the ones that appear to have grown out of HP Lovecraft’s subconscious. Which means it should come as no surprise that scientists have just announced the discovery of another bizarre aquatic species. One that floats aimlessly and mysteriously, like a shimmering translucent balloon looking for … something.
Science Alert reported on the discovery, which scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) outlined in a recent paper. NOAA scientists actually observed the new species and genus of blobs in 2015 off the coast of Puerto Rico. Confirm that the blob, dubbed Duobrachium sparksae, it really is a new species has only just arrived, however.
About sparksaeof genetics or how it behaves, the details are still elusive. However, NOAA scientists are confident that the blob is a type of Ctenophore. Ctenophores, also referred to as sea gooseberries or scallop jellies, comprise a phylum of invertebrate marine animals. They almost always look like translucent spots and often the vaults have macabre characteristics.
NOAA fishing
“It was a beautiful and unique organism,” NOAA Fisheries scientist Mike Ford said in a press release. Ford added that after they had video footage of sparksae, scientists sifted through historical texts on ctenophores. Eventually they found that it was indeed different enough to represent a new genus and species.
Allen Collins, the director of NOAA’s National Systematics Laboratory, points out sparksaeThe unique physiology in the video above. It’s like “a party balloon, only instead of having a string hanging down, it has two little bits,” he says. He adds that each of the “dangling bits” is a tentacle. Each of the tentacles also graze the ground, perhaps in search of prey, as it floats 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface.
In addition to cataloging the bizarre new species, the NOAA scientists were very excited about how they found sparksae. Scientists say they identified the species exclusively from underwater footage from 2015. And while NOAA says the method is controversial, in this case it was appropriate. A good thing, because if it wasn’t, scientists would have to suck it up and dissect the fluffy nightmare. And truly, he deserves to float free so he can hunt and kill prey in peace.
Featured Image: NOAA Fisheries
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