Scientists Identify Deep-Sea Blobs as New Species Using Video Only | Environment

Scientists first identified a small gelatinous spot in the deep sea as a new species, using only high-definition underwater cameras.

The creature, officially known as Duobrachium sparksae, is a new species of ctenophore, or comb jelly. It was discovered in an underwater canyon northwest of Puerto Rico in April 2015, but has only now been described in a research paper.

No physical specimens of the animal were collected, but the species was declared from video taken 3,900 meters below the surface on an expedition led by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).

Noaa used a remotely controlled robotic vehicle called Deep Discoverer to acquire high-definition images that allowed for a full analysis of the blobs.

“It was a beautiful and unique organism,” said Mike Ford, a Noaa Fisheries scientist. “We collected high definition videos and described what we saw. We looked at the historical knowledge of ctenophores and it seemed clear to us that this too was a new species and a new genus. We then worked to position it correctly in the tree of life.” .

Comb jellies, such as Duobrachium sparksae, may be only a few millimeters long, but they are carnivores that eat small arthropods and are able to propel themselves forward by beating rows of hair-like structures found on their surface. Although they look similar, they are not closely related to jellyfish.

Three individuals of the new species have been spotted by the underwater robot, intriguing scientists with their unusual behavior. The comb jelly has two long tentacles that seem to anchor it to the bottom and control its position, moving like a hot air balloon.

More research will be needed to learn the exact role the new comb jellies play in their environment, but for now the videos will be hosted at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC in place of the physical samples.

“Video identification can be controversial,” said Allen Collins, another Noaa scientist who worked on the expedition.

“For example, some insect species descriptions have been made with low-quality images, and some scientists said they don’t think it’s a good way to do things. But for this discovery, we have not received any pushbacks. It was a great example of how to do it right with video. “