There is a reason why the “alien” monsters in so many science fiction films resemble deep-sea creatures; what lurks below the waves is so foreign to human sensibilities that the animals may as well be from another planet.
Scientists on a month-long journey to an underwater mountain in the Pacific have just discovered a whole new cache of bizarre and otherworldly life forms. The Schmidt Oceanic Institute has set automated probes to the underwater peak, which is part of a mountain range called the Nazca Ridge. It is located in a deep underwater chasm called the Peru-Chile trench. Once down there, the probes cataloged 20 previously unknown sea animals, including a very rare blue octopus, a ghostly appearing lobster-like creature, and varieties of fish never before seen.
The Institute’s executive director, Jyotika Virmani was excited about the images coming back, noting that scientists have only mapped about a quarter of the seafloor in the high resolution her team was able to capture. This expedition added to the more than 1,000 known underwater species in this region of the Pacific Ocean, she said, and all in just one year. The total number of new species discovered is 200.
The work takes place aboard a research vessel called the Falkor, and each time the ship goes out the team is able to learn more about the “life on our home planet,” Virmani said.
The scientists on the crew said they were stunned by how “robust” and colorful the mountainous region was. They were surprised at how much color existed so deep, far below the depths that sunlight can penetrate.
The Falkor deploys submersible robots, including a device called the SuBastian that they use to map the topography of the mountains and sea floor as well as to capture video of the wildlife.
One of the team’s favorite finds was the Promachoteuthis squid, which they got on motion picture for the first time. Finding one is so unusual that only three species have been described in the literature, and most of what is known about the squid comes from a scant number of preserved specimens dating back to the 19th century.
It will be some time before the scientific community comes to consensus on the existence of the discovered species and gives them official names. In the meantime, the researchers are describing them with straightforward and lighthearted language. They’re calling one a “Casper” octopus, and said they’ve photographed two “flying spaghetti monsters.”
