California researchers announce new species of bioluminescent sea slug
Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in California have announced a new species of sea slug. The creature, which was first spotted more than two decades ago, is described as a gelatinous and bioluminescent being living in the deep sea. The institute shared footage of this one-of-a-kind sea slug swimming through the ocean depths, filmed using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
Initial encounter and physical description
The research team first discovered this "mystery mollusc" back in February 2000, at a depth of some 2,614 meters in the Pacific Ocean. The sea slug features a large hooded structure on one end, and a flat tail with several finger-like projections on the other. Its colorful internal organs are sandwiched between the two different ends.
Classification and habitat of the new sea slug
After analyzing more than 150 sightings and conducting lab studies, the researchers concluded that this creature is a new kind of nudibranch or sea slug. The species lives in the midnight zone, a deep-sea region characterized by extreme conditions such as freezing temperatures, pitch-black darkness, and intense pressure. The findings were recently published in the scientific journal Deep-Sea Research Part I.
