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Duobrachium sparksae was first observed in 2015 in the Arecibo amphitheater, in an underwater trench known as Guajataca Canyon. Image: NOAA
The deep sea is home to many strange creatures, and it is likely that there are many that we have not yet discovered. They swim down there in the icy depths, moving about their lives hidden from humanity. But now there is one less because scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have spread the word that they have identified an entirely new species.
Duobrachium sparksae is really weird. It is a gelatinous species of ctenophore, a species of invertebrate animal that uses its eyelashes to swim. They range in size from a few millimeters to over a meter in length and can be found all over the world. NOAA researchers were able, for the first time ever, to identify the Duobrachium sparksae from a high-definition video taken by an appropriately named remote-controlled vehicle Deep Discoverer. The creature was spotted off the coast of Puerto Rico in 2015, but as scientists were attempting to identify an entirely new species based only on a video clip, they took their time to break the news.
“It is unique because we have been able to describe a new species based entirely on high definition video,” explained marine biologist NOAA Allen Collins. Science notice. “We don’t have the same microscopes we would have in a lab, but video can give us enough information to understand morphology in detail, such as the location of their reproductive parts and other aspects.”
Duobrachium sparksae is a jelly-like balloon-like blob with two distinct sprawling arms. Three different individuals were filmed nearly 2.5 miles deep.
“It was a beautiful and unique organism,” said oceanographer Mike Ford. “It moved like a hot air balloon attached to the sea floor in two lines, maintaining a certain altitude above the sea floor. Whether it is attached to the bottom of the sea, we’re not sure. We did not observe direct attachment during the dive, but it appears that the organism touches the sea floor. “
Duobrachium sparksae was first observed in the Arecibo amphitheater, in an underwater trench known as Canyon Guajataca. Researchers believe these deep parts of the ocean are likely the homes of many undiscovered creatures, but due to the difficulty of getting there, it’s rare to encounter any. On average, only one new species of Ctenophore is found each year, which is carnivorous. So far about 200 are known.
Despite the fact that we now know that Duobrachium sparksae exists, it is unlikely that humans will lay their eyes on a physical specimen anytime in the near future. Deep sea gelatinous animals, as one might expect, do not fare well when brought to the surface. “Even if we had the equipment,” continued Collins, “there would be very little time to process the animal because gelatinous animals don’t keep very well.”
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