The wide ocean, with its surface covering more than 70%, is one of the parts of the Earth that remain mostly unexplored. This hermitage is home to innumerable living creatures, of which many are yet to be found. Each year, researchers uncover some new species of animals, provoking our minds beyond the imaginable. Here are 10 of the most captivating recently discovered marine dwellers:
- T. Sponge (Advhena magnifica)
Picture the environment of the deep sea known as the “Forest of the Weird”. This is the location where explorers came across the E.T. Sponge; a white, bulbous creature with two dots positioned on a long elongated stem. Its weird, extraordinary form symbolizes the mysterious beauty that is usually found on the ocean floor.
- Fighting Elvis Worms (genus Stygohadal)
This worm’s ferocious-sounding name is perfectly accurate. These creatures have found their habitat in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the earth’s ocean depths. They attack using their sharp jaws that are combined with strong bites for survival in these extreme conditions.
- Tiny Tree-of-Life Tardigrade (ParamicroTARDIS nana)
Tardigrades, also referred to as water bears, boast of their resilience. This new species is the smallest member of the Tardigrada phylum that has so far been discovered in such a vast space as the ocean depths. TARDIS is an affectionate name given by the character, which represents the possibility of enormous things dwelling in the smallest forms.
- Patrick Sea Star (Attenborough yıldız)
This sea star, being named after the beloved cartoon character for its similarity, is adorned with knobby arms and is usually found in the Aegean Sea. This exciting finding is yet another example of efforts to classify the amazing richness among starfish types.
- Blobfish (Psychrolutes marinus
Despite its not being the most outstanding looking, it serves as a fine specimen of adaptation. Its gelatinous body allows it to sustain the extreme pressure of the abyssal area.
Creatures of Myths and Legend
Monster tales about the abyssal predators have been captivating our imagination for centuries. Some of these stories are the source of truth, real beings that were discovered in the sea showing similarities to legendary beasts.
- Vampire Squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis)
It is a jet-black cephalopod which lives in the twilight zone of the ocean where the sunlight hardly penetrates. Given the bioluminescent red spots and filaments that can be retracted, this animal could easily be mistaken for a character from a gothic novel, playing its role as a predator of any organic matter that falls into the sea.
- Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina owstonii)
This jaw-dropping shark is the oldest, and looks prehistoric, with a pink, protruding snout and rows of razor-sharp serrated teeth. It is a living fossil. Living in the absolute depth of sea, its encounter is rare giving the aura of uniqueness to its presence.
A World of Concealment
Oceans are home to many different habitats which pose major challenges to the organisms who live there. While others do so by mimicking their environment, becoming nature camouflage specialists.
- Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Thysanoteuthis flamboyant)
This marvelous cuttlefish is a resident of coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. When threatened it unravels its multi-color body with huge bio-luminescent organisms into a spectacular display that startles predators making it get away.
- Transparent Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria japonica)
This transparent sea cucumber employs the strategy of near-invisibility to escape predators. Its entire body is almost transparent so that light can go through it without much bending.
- Leafy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
Blending in perfectly, the leafy seadragon has leaves for disguise, each of which also has leafy protrusions. Such an approach makes it virtually indistinguishable from the kelp forest setting and therefore eludes potential predators.
Giants of the Deep
The fact that the ocean is so vast is a place for creatures that have spectacular size and are only recently being discovered.
- Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni)
The colossal squid, a distinct type of giant squid, is assumed to be the world’s biggest invertebrate animal. They are believed to be over 45 feet in length; still, they mostly stay enigmatic and unstudied. Researchers are clinging to patches of DNA found in predators and camera images taken by submersibles to assemble their existence.
This list is just a small preview of the hidden treasures found in the deep parts of the ocean. New discoveries will continue to be made, and many species are entirely unknown. By keeping on our endeavors of exploring the ocean depths, a lot more bizarre creatures that we can never imagine to exist will keep on emerging, refining our knowledge of marine life and its diversity. The future world ocean exploration is captivating as much as the exotic worlds these discoveries unfold. It also reminds us that the Earth holds as the profound secrets as we would search among the stars.
