New Ocean Species Found Off Australia
Posted on 7 June 2010 by LynThomas in Uncategorized
Researchers estimate that 66% of the invertebrate species they discovered in the previously unexplored waters off the Australian coast are completely new to science. Survey teams have found hundreds of new species of corals, starfish, sponges, shrimps, and crabs.
”We probably know more about the surface of the moon than we do about some of the vast reaches of our oceans,” said Peter Garrett, Australian minister for the environment, heritage, and the arts.
Here are just a few of the never before found species:
The pink handfish, using its fins to walk, rather than swim along the ocean floor, is one of nine newly named species described in a recent scientific review of the handfish family.
Only four specimens of the elusive four-inch (ten-centimeter) pink handfish have ever been found, and all of those were collected from areas around the city of Hobart, on the Australian island of Tasmania.
It’s taken up to now for scientists to formally identify it as a unique species, even though the last sighting of a living pink handfish was in 1999.
All of the world’s 14 known species of handfish are found only in shallow, coastal waters off southeastern Australia.
New species of crab
A new species of crab was found lurking around seamounts 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) deep about 100 to 200 nautical miles (185 to 370 kilometers) off Tasmania.
New Species of Sea Star
This new species of sea star, or starfish, lives among deepwater coral, about 3,658 feet (1,115 meters) below the surface. It was discovered in the Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserve.
New species Brittle Star
A new species of Ophiomitrella brittle star was captured during a survey of two marine reserve areas off the southern coast of Tasmania.
Plesionika Shrimp
A new species of Plesionika shrimp was found living at depths of 1.2 miles (2 kilometers).
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7 June 2010
[...] ”We probably know more about the surface of the moon than we do about some of the vast reaches of our oceans,” said Peter Garrett, Australian minister for the environment, heritage, and the arts. Take a look at more photos of these fabulous creatures… [...]
Wait, I cannot fathom it being so straihgtfowrrad.