Two New Species of Pancake Batfishes Discovered from Area Engulfed by Oil Spill

Although the Gulf of Mexico has been intensively surveyed by scientists and picked over by fishermen, it is still home to fishes that are waiting to be described. New research published in the Journal of Fish Biologydescribes two new species of pancake batfishes (Halieutichthys intermedius and H. bispinosus) and re-describes another (H. aculeatus), all of which live in waters either partially or fully encompassed by the recent oil spill.

"One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area," says John Sparks, curator of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History. "If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity -- especially microdiversity -- is out there that we do not know about."

Pancake batfishes are members of the anglerfish familyOgcocephalidae, a group of about 70 species of flat bottom-dwellers that often live in deep, perpetually dark waters. Pancake batfishes have enormous heads and mouths that can thrust forward. This, combined with their ability to cryptically blend in with their surroundings, gives them an advantage for capturing prey. They use their stout, arm-like fins to 'walk' awkwardly along the substrate; their movements have been described as grotesque, resembling a walking bat. As most anglerfishes, batfishes have a dorsal fin that is modified into a spine or lure, although their lure excretes a fluid to reel in prey instead of bio-illuminating.

The pancake batfishes described by Sparks and colleagues, genus Halieutichthys , live in shallower waters than most batfishes and occur along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic from Louisiana to North Carolina. Until now, the currently described three fishes had been lumped into one species, since they all have similar coloration and body shape.

But there are several differences. The three species are distinguished by the size, shape (blunt or sharp), and arrangement of tubercles on the body; the presence or absence of dark bands on the pectoral fin; and the unique reticulate pigmentation patterns on the dorsal body surface. H. aculeatus, the re-described species, is characterized by a comparatively sparse arrangement of spiny tubercles and is distributed along the northeastern gulf coast as well as along the Florida, Georgia, and Carolina coasts. H. bispinosus is a newly described species with a characteristic pattern of densely arranged spiny tubercles covering the body and a geographic distribution similar to H. aculeatus. Finally, H. intermedius, the second newly described species, has a smooth, non-spiny dorsal surface and a geographic distribution that mirrors the current range of the Gulf oil spill. This last species does not have a known population outside of the Gulf of Mexico.

"These discoveries underscore the potential loss of undocumented biodiversity that a disaster of this scale may portend," says Sparks.

In addition to Sparks, authors include Hsuan-Ching Ho of the Biodiversity Research Center of Academica Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan and Prosanta Chakrabarty of the Museum of Natural Science at Louisiana State University. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Lakeside Foundation, and the Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research. American Museum of Natural History (2010, July 8). Two new species of pancake batfishes discovered from area engulfed by oil spill.ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 11, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708111206.htm

New Species of Invertebrates Discovered in the Antarctic

On board the German oceanographic ship and through various expeditions carried out between 1996 and 2008, two scientists from the University of Seville (US) have discovered six new gorgonia (colonial marine invertebrates made up of tubular bodied polyps with eight tentacles) in the Antarctic region, in the Eastern Weddell Sea. These discoveries reveal the great diversity of the Antarctic that is still unknown.

The polyps of the new gorgonia discovered, Tauroprimnoa austasensis and Digitogorgia kuekenthali, in the region of Austasen, in the Eastern Weddell Sea, and to the south-east of the Falklands and Isla Nueve (in Chilean Patagonia) respectively, are small and elongated. Both species stand out for the number, shape and layout of the scales of calcium carbonate that cover the polyps, and for the type of ramification of the colonies.

"The Tauroprimnoa are characterized by being colonies in the shape of a brush, with simple branches and whose polyps arranged in whorls, have only four marginal scales. The rest of the polyp is covered by five longitudinal rows of scales. The sight is reminiscent of a bull, hence the name," Rebeca Zapata-Guardiola, main author of the study and researcher in the department for Physiology and Zoology at the US, said.

The study, which has been published in the journal Polar Biology, shows that Digitogorgia type gorgonea have the same characteristics as previous ones, except for the digitations in the distal region of the scales of the polyps, and the absence of spines on the eight marginal scales and on the eight rows filled with scales that cover the polyp.

The four gorgonea of Atka Bay

The other four species discovered in the area of the South Georgia islands and in Atka bay in the Antarctic region -Thouarella bayeri, Thouarella sardana, Thouarella undulata, and Thouarella andeep- are made up of, like the others of their kind, eight rows of scales that cover the surface of the polyp.

"The differences are found in the ramification pattern of the colonies, in the layout of the polyps in the branches and in the shape and ornamentation of the scales of the polyp," Zapata-Guardiola indicates.

This second investigation, published in the journal Scientia Marina, has revealed the presence of incidental opercular scales on the polyps of the gorgonea, located in an inner cycle, and already observed in 1908 by the Japanese Kinoshita. This could indicate that the number of scales has been reduced during its evolution. However, "up until now they hadn't been observed again in any other species of the genus," the biologist points out. Oceanographic campaigns

The six new species have been collected using sampling techniques for benthic fauna thanks to the Agassiz net -one of the most commonly used trawling methods for analysing communities that live on the sea bed- during the LAMPOS, ANDEEP-SYSTCO and BENDEX campaigns on board the Polarstern ship.

The LAMPOS campaign, carried out between 3 April and 5 May 2002, made it possible to strengthen cooperation between Latin American and European scientists, and to study the relationship between biogeography and the evolution of benthic fauna between the region of Magallanes and the Antarctic peninsula.

The BENDEX campaign, carried out between 17 November 2003 and 18 January 2004, made it possible to discover how benthic fauna is affected by the alterations and disruptions of the icebergs.

The ANDEEP-SYSTCO campaign, of 28 November 2007 to 4 February 2008, undertook to study the benthic biodiversity of the depths of the Antarctic Ocean, the history of colonisations and patterns of recent communities, and systematic coupling. On this expedition, nine new Antarctic species were also discovered.

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Plataforma SINC.

Nine New Species for Tasmania's Disappearing Handfish Family

Nine new species of handfish have been described by CSIRO in research that highlights an urgent need to better understand and protect the diversity of life in Australia's oceans.

The new species are described in a review of the handfish family by Hobart-based fish taxonomists from the CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship, Daniel Gledhill and Peter Last.

Supported by funding from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, the review of the handfishes brings the family to 14 known species -- six found only in Tasmania and one known from only one specimen possibly collected in Tasmania by early European explorers, yet not recorded since. It also deepens concerns about declining populations of some handfishes.

"Handfishes are small, often strikingly patterned or colourful, sedentary fish that tend to 'walk' on the seabed on hand-like fins, rather than swim. Fifty million-years ago, they 'walked' the world's oceans, but now they exist only off eastern and southern Australia," Mr Gledhill says.

"They are of great importance to understanding the origins of Australian marine life, the role of Australia as a refuge during previous periods of change, and the effects on living species of habitat alteration and rapid climate change."

Dr Last says handfishes are extremely vulnerable to environmental change -- introduced species, pollution, siltation, fishing, sea-temperature rise and coastal development -- due to their scarcity, patchy distribution, life history strategy, low breeding rates and poor dispersal ability.

(The Spotted Handfish is listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Red Handfish and Ziebell's Handfish are listed as vulnerable.)

"There is evidence of shallow-water species disappearing quickly, from being common in certain areas a few decades ago, to apparently being locally extinct in some areas," Dr Last says.

"It's not just two or three handfish species of concern. Our work has described nine new species, each with its own environmental niches and needs, and several of these appear to have very restricted distributions, and/or occur in very low abundance."

Mr Gledhill says the handfishes have proven difficult to classify due to their rarity and a lack of specimens.

One of the newly named species, the Pink Handfish, is known from only four specimens and was last recorded off the Tasman Peninsula in 1999. The Pink Handfish will feature in a photographic exhibition of Australia's marine biodiversity that opens May 21 at Questacon in Canberra.

The exhibiton is mounted by the Marine Biodiversity Hub, a national research partnership charged with furthering knowledge of Australia's oceans, and coincides with the United Nations' International Year of Biodiversity (2010) and International Biodiversity Day, 22 May 2010.

Professor Nic Bax of CSIRO and the University of Tasmania, director of the Marine Biodiversity Hub, says the exhibition offers a wonderful opportunity to acquaint young Australians with the beauty and challenges presented by Australia's vast ocean realm.

"More than half of Australia's territory is ocean, and some 95 per cent of this world is yet to be explored," he says.

CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions to Australia's major research challenges and opportunities. The 10 Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community.

The Marine Biodiversity Hub is a collaborative partnership funded by the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities program, an Australian Government initiative supporting world class, public good research. Its partners include Tasmanian Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute, University of Tasmania; CSIRO Wealth from Oceans National Flagship; Geoscience Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science; and Museum Victoria.

CSIRO Australia (2010, May 24). Nine new species for Tasmania's disappearing handfish family. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/05/100524101358.htm

New bacterium species found in the Gullmarsfjord

Researchers at the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of Gothenburg have discovered a brand new species of bacterium found only in the Gullmarsfjord north of Gothenburg. The bacterium has been named Endoxenoturbella lovénii to honour the newly founded marine research center.Researcher Matthias Obst from the Department of Zoology is one of many marine scientists based at the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences, a new institute owned by the University of Gothenburg that includes two modern marine research stations in Kristineberg outside Lysekil and on Tjärnö outside Strömstad.Brand-new speciesIn a scientific article, he and his colleagues from the Lovén Centre in Kristineberg describe a brand-new species of bacterium, an endosymbiotic prokaryote living in the gut of a marine worm called Xenoturbella, a creature also unique to the Gullmarsfjord.Honouring nameAs discoverers, Obst and his colleagues had the honour of naming the new bacterium: "To acknowledge the Lovén Centre and its importance as a base for marine biological research, we've decided that the species will be called Endoxenoturbella lovénii," he says.Unique animalThe bacteria's host, the Xenoturbella worm, has the size of a thumbnail and possesses a unique body plan, with no brain and no reproductive or sensory organs. This unique creature is invaluable for studies of the early evolution of the animal kingdom, and has drawn researchers from all over the world to the Sven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences in Kristineberg ever since it was discovered.

New Octopus

The medium-sized Octopus insularis was described based on material collected in shallow equatorial waters around the oceanic islands of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Rocas Atoll, St Peter and St Paul Archipelago, and the mainland of northeastern Brazil (Leite et al, 2008). This species is commercially important and accounts for a large percentage of octopus fisheries from Para (01o 28´N, 48o 29´W) to Bahia States (12o 56´N, 38o 31´W) in Brazil. This recently described species differs both morphologically and genetically from Octopus vulgaris in the Mediterranean, Venezuela and Southern Brazil. It has relatively short and stout arms, rugose reddish brown skin in preserved specimens, 8 to 11 gill lamellae on the outer demibranchs, small ligula, characteristic symmetrical radula, spermatophore and beak, small eggs and high fecundity (213000 oocytes under 1.5 mm diameter). The Octopus insularis diet in Fernando de Noronha Archipelago includes at least 55 species of crustaceans (70%), bivalves (17.5%) and gastropods (12.5 %); however, only 4 species accounted for half of the occurrences: the small crabs Pitho sp. (26.8%) and Mithrax forceps (23.9%), the bivalve Lima lima (5.3%) and the gastropod Pisania pusio (4.9%). The large proportion of two species of small crabs in den remains, the intense search for food during short hunting trips, and the intense use of cryptic body patterns during foraging trips, suggest that this species is a `time-minimizing` forager instead of a 'rate-maximizing’ one (Leite et al, 2009). Body colour of living animals in the environment varying from yellow to red-brown, usually cream-brown. The most common body patterns observed for this species were Mottle, Blotch, Dorsal Light-Ventral Blue-Green and Uniform Dark (Leite & Mather, 2008). It is found on reefs, bedrock, rubble, gravel and sand beds and rocky bottoms, regardless of the presence of algae, but never on sandy and muddy bottoms. Interestingly, Octopus insularis was the only octopus recorded in the minute St Peter and St Paul Archipelago (Leite & Haimovici, 2006). The low diversity of the Archipelago may be explained by its isolation, the small area of shallow water less than 50 m in depth (less than 0.5 km2) and poor diversity of habitats. It also suggests a higher adaptability of O. insularis to this environment when compared to other highly fecund tropical octopuses with small eggs. Futher studies, which are being carried out, may clarify this point.

Scientists Find Amazing New Pond life on Nature Reserve

One year in to a project to save one of the UK's top sites for pondlife, amazing new species are being revealed for the first time.

Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London working with Dorset Wildlife Trust have discovered an astonishing variety of minute aquatic organisms, so small as to be invisible to the naked eye.

East Stoke Fen nature reserve is coming under the microscope of scientists from Queen Marys' School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, based at the Freshwater Biological Association's River Laboratory. They have already found over 30 species of invertebrates smaller than half a millimetre (so called meiofauna) and over 100 single-celled species (ciliates) in less than two months.

The reserve's reed fen, on the floodplain of the River Frome near Wool, is a rare and declining habitat in Dorset. Now, with funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Wet Fens Project is being launched to study 'cryptic biodiversity' (biodiversity invisible to the naked eye) and raise awareness so that it can be protected in pond and fen management.

Dr Genoveva Esteban of Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, said: "Cryptic biodiversity helps natural ecosystems to bounce back in response to environmental change. The Wet Fens Project in partnership with Dorset Wildlife Trust and the Freshwater Biological Association is pioneer work in the UK, to link research with conservation practice with the aim of incorporating small organisms into wetland conservation management. Local biodiversity conservation will become all-embracing by covering the full range of aquatic organisms that contribute to the proper functioning of an ecosystem -- not just those judged as 'charismatic'."

Dr Rachel Janes, Dorset Wildlife Trust's Pond Project Co-ordinator, said: "It is very exciting to learn about these incredible animals on our reserve, thanks to the work of the scientific team. The Wet Fens Project will help to protect them for the future, alongside the more visible aquatic wildlife."

The Wet Fens Project will be launched this month at a seminar to celebrate the first year of the two-year Purbeck Important Ponds Project, which was launched in January 2009 by Dorset Wildlife Trust and funded by Biffaward -- a multi-million pound environment fund which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services, the Environment Agency and the Dorset AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), to safeguard one of the UK's foremost regions for pond biodiversity. Purbeck ponds are an aquatic hotspot for wildlife, including nearly all of the known British dragonfly species as well as the rare great crested newt.

New 'strawberry' crab species found off Taiwan

A marine biologist says he has discovered a new crab species off the coast of southern Taiwan that looks like a strawberry with small white bumps on its red shell.
National Taiwan Ocean University professor Ho Ping-ho says the crab resembles the species living in the areas around Hawaii, Polynesia and Mauritius. But it has a distinctive clam-shaped shell about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide, making it distinct.
Taiwanese crab specialist Wang Chia-hsiang confirmed Ho's finding.
Ho said Tuesday his team found two female crabs of the new species last June off the coast of Kenting National Park, known for its rich marine life. The crabs died shortly thereafter, possibly because the water in the area was polluted by a cargo ship that ran aground.

New species of coral, sponges found near Hawaii

New and dramatic species of coral and sponges have been found in the Pacific during deep sea dives near the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, scientists said Monday.

Submersibles operated by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory discovered the species in early December in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. They found the species during dives nearly 1 mile deep.

Christopher Kelley, the lab's program biologist, called sponges found at dive sites off Middle Bank, some 120 miles northwest of Hawaii, "absolutely bizarre."

During radio transmissions between the submersible Pisces IV and its support ship, Kelley said one observer remarked when first seeing the sponges, "It looks like something out of Dr. Seuss."

Kelley will be working with other scientists to identify the sponges.

"There are lots of things down there that are just brand new," he said. "We don't know what they are, and this is a fantastic opportunity to try and help the monument and determine what some of the deep water resources are."

The expedition marked the first time the lab used high definition video cameras to capture images of its deep ocean work.

The quality of the HD video is so good, scientists expect to be able to identify some animals from the video alone, rather than having to collect actual specimens, Kelley said.

In addition to its research value, HD brings the deep sea experience to the general public, he said.

"It's really the type of quality we see out the windows of the submersible," Kelley said. "People are going to be seeing what we're seeing. People are going to see why we're so excited about these deep water environments, because these animals are spectacular."

King Crab Family Bigger Than Ever

Sally Hall, a PhD student at the University of Southampton's School of Ocean and Earth Science (SOES) at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS) has formally described four new species of king crab, all from the deep sea.Hall discovered the new species in the Smithsonian Collections of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington. Explaining the significance of the find, she said: "King crabs include some of the largest crustaceans currently inhabiting Earth and are fished by humans, particularly from the shallower waters of the polar regions. The new discoveries increase the total number of king crab species known to 113."The new species are Paralomis nivosa from the Philippines, P. makarovi from the Bering Sea, P. alcockiana from South Carolina, and Lithodes galapagensis from the Galapagos archipelago -- the first and only king crab species yet recorded from the seas around the Galapagos Islands. P. nivosa and P. makarovi came from previously unidentified samples collected in the early part of the twentieth century by the US Bureau of Fisheries steamer, Albatross.King crabs were first formally described in 1819. They are now known from subtidal waters at high latitudes, but deep-sea species occur in most of the world's oceans, typically living at depths between 500 and 1500 metres."We are only now beginning to understand the incredible diversity of animals living in the deep sea," said Hall: "It is incredible that the Albatross collection is still yielding new information, even though it is over 100 years since this survey of deep-sea life began."It is now clear that species of deep-sea king crab live in most areas of the world's oceans, but many more species remain to be discovered. "The oceans off eastern Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean are all particularly poorly sampled," said Hall: "We need to know which king crab species live where before we can fully understand their ecology and evolutionary success."This work was supported by the Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning (MarBEF) EU Network of Excellence.National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (UK).Journal Reference:Hall, S. & Thatje, S. Four new species of the family Lithodidae (Decapoda: Anomura) from the collections of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Zootaxa, 2302, 31-47 (2009)Lithodes galapagensis, the only king crab species yet recorded from the seas around the Galapagos Islands.

Thousands of Strange Sea Creatures Discovered

The deep sea is teeming with thousands of species that have never known sunlight, explorers now say. Revealed via cameras towed deep in the sea, sonar and other technologies, a stunning 17,650 species are now known to thrive in an eternal watery darkness. This menagerie of weird creatures, ranging from crabs to shrimp to worms, somehow manage a living in a frigid black world down to roughly 3 miles (5 km) below the ocean waves. Most of these creatures have adapted to diets based on meager droppings from the sunlit layer above, while others live on sulfur and methane, or bacteria that break down oil, or the sunken bones of dead whales and other implausible foods. Scientists have inventoried about 17,650 species deeper than 656 feet (200 meters), the edge of darkness, where sunlight no longer penetrates. This number includes some 5,722 species recorded deeper than the black abyss of 3,280 feet (1,000 meters). "Typically the deep sea is viewed as something beyond concern, a pit, a desert, a wasteland, but what we have found in our work is that there is an incredible diversity of species there, often with striking adaptations that we as yet don't understand yet," researcher Robert Carney of Louisiana State University, co-leader of the Continental Margin Ecosystems on a Worldwide Scale project, told LiveScience. During their voyages, all part of the decade-long Census of Marine Life project involving thousands of scientists from around the world, explorers discovered a diverse collection of species. JUMBO DUMBO: A very large specimen of a rare primitive finned octopod - nicknamed "Dumbos" because they flap a pair of large ear-like fins to swim, like the cartoon flying elephant - was discovered at roughly 3,280 to 9,840 feet (1,000 to 3,000 meters) during a 2009 voyage to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge led by Michael Vecchione, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries National Systematics Lab at the Smithsonian. The jumbo Dumbo was estimated to be about six feet long (2 meters) and, at roughly 13 lbs. (6 kg), the largest of only a few specimens of the species ever obtained. Altogether, nine species of gelatinous "Dumbos" were collected on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, including one that may be new to science. Scientists were surprised to find such a plentiful and diverse assemblage of these animals, which rank among the largest in the deep sea. OIL WORM: After a robotic arm lifted a solitary worm from a hole in the floor of the Gulf of Mexico in what looked like ordinary surroundings, crude oil streamed from both the animal and the open hole. The "wildcat" tubeworm had hit a gusher and was dining on chemicals from decomposing oil, a find made at 3,250 feet (990 meters) at a 2007 voyage. SEE-THROUGH CUCUMBER: An odd transparent sea cucumber, Enypniastes, was seen creeping forward on its many tentacles at about 3/4 inch (2 cm) per minute while sweeping detritus-rich sediment into its mouth. At the end, it bloomed into a startling curved shape and swam away to find another meal, which scientists recorded on video at roughly 1.7 miles deep (2,750 meters) on a 2007 voyage in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. YETI CRAB: The "yeti crabs" - crabs with furry claws that resemble stories of the yeti, or abominable snowman - were discovered in 2005 south of Easter Island in the South Pacific, living on hydrothermal vents at a depth of roughly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) along the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge by researchers affiliated with the Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems project. "Presumably their furry claws are farming spaces for microbes," Carney explained. WHALE BONE EATER: The Antarctic's first recorded whalebone-eating worm, Osedax, was discovered on at roughly 1,640 feet (500 meters) during a 2009 voyage to a range of New Zealand seamounts. Scientists attached whalebone snacks to two vehicles and parked them 1800 and 2060 feet (550 and 630 meters) deep near Smith Island by the West Antarctic Peninsula. When they raised the parked vehicles 14 months later, they found new species of Osedax they crowded onto the parked vehicles. Seventeen species had been reported on other fallen whales in such places as the shallow northeast Atlantic off Sweden, the northeast Pacific off California and the northwest Pacific off Japan. A mat of chemosynthetic microbial fauna and the small marine worm Ophryotrocha, which eats bacterial mats, also covered the parked vehicles. Scientists said the work is expensive and dangerous (read more about the voyage here), but the diversity of creatures has proven startling. The deep sea "is the Earth's largest continuous ecosystem and largest habitat for life. It is also the least studied," said researcher Chris German of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, co-chair of Biogeography of Deep-Water Chemosynthetic Systems project. A sample of sediment yields more new species than known species, researchers said. And interest in the newfound creatures goes beyond pure scientific marvel. "There's a lot of interest in bioprospecting there - pharmaceutical companies are really very interested in what deep-sea fauna have to offer, as they often produce unusual compounds," explained Paul Snelgrove, an oceanographer from Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.Climate change, changes in ocean acidity, and "evidence of pollutants creeping deeper and deeper into the ocean" are all ways in which the newfound deep-sea creatures could be vulnerable to human-induced changes, Snelgrove and other researchers said.

Ancient And Bizarre Fish Discovered: New Species Of Ghostshark From California And Baja California

Ancient And Bizarre Fish Discovered: New Species Of Ghostshark From California And Baja CaliforniaNew species are not just discovered in exotic locales—even places as urban as California still yield discoveries of new plants and animals. Academy scientists recently named a new species of chimaera, an ancient and bizarre group of fishes distantly related to sharks, from the coast of Southern California and Baja California, Mexico.The new species, the Eastern Pacific black ghostshark (Hydrolagus melanophasma), was described in the September issue of the international journal Zootaxa by a research team including Academy Research Associates David Ebert and Douglas J. Long. Additional co-authors included Kelsey James, a graduate student at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and Dominique Didier from Millersville University in Pennsylvania. This is the first new species of cartilaginous fish to be described from California waters since 1947.Chimaeras, also called ratfish, rabbitfish, and ghostsharks, are perhaps the oldest and most enigmatic groups of fishes alive today. Their closest living relatives are sharks, but their evolutionary lineage branched off from sharks nearly 400 million years ago, and they have remained an isolated group ever since. Like sharks, chimaeras have skeletons composed of cartilage and the males have claspers for internal fertilization of females.Unlike sharks, male chimaeras also have retractable sexual appendages on the forehead and in front of the pelvic fins and a single pair of gills. Most species also have a mildly venomous spine in front of the dorsal fin. Chimaeras were once a very diverse and abundant group, as illustrated by their global presence in the fossil record. They survived through the age of dinosaurs mostly unchanged, but today these fishes are relatively scarce and are usually confined to deep ocean waters, where they have largely avoided the reach of explorers and remained poorly known to science.This new species belongs to the genus Hydrolagus, Latin for 'water rabbit' because of its grinding tooth plates reminiscent of a rabbit's incisor teeth. This new species was originally collected as early as the mid 1960s, but went unnamed until this year because its taxonomic relationships were unclear. A large blackish-purple form, Hydrolagus melanophasma (melanophasma is Latin for 'black ghost'), is found in deep water from the coast of Southern California, along the western coast of Baja California, and into the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California). This species is known from a total of nine preserved museum specimens, and from video footage taken of it alive by a deep-water submersible in the Sea of Cortez.Renewed exploration of the world's deep oceans and more extensive taxonomic analysis of chimaera specimens in museum collections have led to a boom in the number of new chimaera species discovered worldwide in the last decade, including two species from the Galápagos Islands named by Didier, Ebert, and Long in 2006 that were originally collected by Academy scientist John McCosker. With further advances in research and discovery, perhaps more will be known about these living fossils and their diversity in the world's oceans.California Academy of Sciences

New Worm Species Discovered on Dead Whales

Nine previously unknown species of worms were found hiding out on whale cadavers deep in the ocean, where the worms were feasting on bone-munching bacteria. The new species are bristleworms, or polychaetes, which have segmented bodies, and are among the most common marine organisms. The worms find refuge at ocean depths, near the sea surface and even in burrows in beach sand. "First of all, I think it's very exciting to find a new species in a habitat that not many people have looked at. And then we find so many new species," Helena Wiklund of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden told LiveScience. As part of her dissertation, Wiklund identified the worms, four of which she discovered on the cadaver of a minke whale placed on the seafloor of the new national park Kosterhavet off the coast of Strömstad, Sweden. The other five species were discovered on whale bones in the deep waters off the coast of Calif. Dead whales constitute an unpredictable food source, as it's impossible to figure when and where one will die. And it's a one-shot deal. But nevertheless, when the hefty animals die, they sink to the seafloor and the payoff is big for marine species able to cash in. Scientists estimate one whale corpse provides the nutritional equivalent of 2,000-years worth of normal biological detritus sinking to the seafloor. Bristleworms are typically second- or third-shift feeders. First come the hagfish and sharks, which devour the whale's flesh. Then, bacteria colonize the skeleton and bristleworms follow. Some bristleworm species are so specialized in eating dead whales they might not survive elsewhere. For example, the bone-devouring worm Osedax is equipped with a root system that can penetrate the whale bones and helps the worm digest the fats and proteins from such bones. While the newly discovered bristleworm species didn't show any particular adaptations for feeding in this whale-carcass habitat, Wiklund says she thinks they are specialized for subsisting at whale falls or similar ecosystems.

Eyeless Creature Discovered in Undersea Tunnel

A previously unknown species of an eyeless crustacean was discovered lurking inside a lava tube beneath the seafloor. The creature, named Speleonectes atlantida, lives in the Tunnel de la Atlantida, the world's longest submarine lava tube on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands off the western coast of northern Africa. The discovery, which has implications for the evolution of an ancient group of crustaceans, will be detailed in September in a special issue of the journal Marine Biodiversity. While in the cave, the international team of scientists and cave divers also discovered two previously unknown species of annelid worms. The 5,000-foot (1,500 meter) long tube where the crustacean lives formed some 20,000 years ago when the Monte Corona volcano erupted on the island of Lanzarote. The erupted molten rock flowed across the land and into the ocean. "The tunnel formed because the lava on the surface cooled and solidified faster than lava in the center of the stream," said study researcher Stefan Koenemann of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, in Germany. "At present, there are no more active volcanoes on Lanzarote. The last eruptions took place in the 18th century." The tunnel's newly identified inhabitant, which is less than an inch (10 to 20 mm) long, belongs to the class Remipedia, whose crustacean members live only in cave systems. Like this species, most other remipedes lack eyes and are hermaphrodites (equipped with both male and female sexual organs). And similar to its relatives, S. atlantida is adapted for life in a dark, dismal cave. With long antennae sprouting from its head and plenty of sensory hairs along its body, the animal can easily feel its way along the dark tunnel. Organisms like S. atlantida also must be savvy hunters to nab food where resources are limited, Koenemann said. "Apart from its powerful raptorial head limbs, which are used to hunt and seize other cave animals up to twice their body size, remipedes like Speleonectes are also filter- or particle feeders and scavangers," Koenemann told LiveScience. "In other words, they are capable of using and ingesting a large variety of food types." S. atlantida looks similar to the only other remipede, called Speleonectes ondinae, found in this lava tunnel. Since most remipede species, about 20, live in marine caves in the Caribbean, scientists think the two Canary Island cave dwellers are relics from long ago, isolated by Earth's ever-shifting continents, which were once all joined. "The previously known species in the tunnel, Speleonectes ondinae, was considered an isolated relic that became separated from the main distribution area in the larger Caribbean region a very long time ago, presumably more than 200 million years ago, when the continental plates began drifting apart," Koenemann

New Species Of Crustacean Discovered Near Canary Islands

During a cave diving expedition to explore the Tunnel de la Atlantida, the world's longest submarine lava tube on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, a team of scientists and cave divers have discovered a previously unknown species of crustacean, belonging to the remipede genus Speleonectes.They gracefully swim through the complete darkness of submarine caves, constantly on the lookout for prey. Instead of eyes, predatory crustaceans of the class Remipedia rely on long antennae which search the lightless void in all directions. Like some type of science fiction monster, their head is equipped with powerful prehensile limbs and poisonous fangs.Accordingly, the translations of their Latin names sound menacing. There is the "Secret Club Bearer" (Cryptocorynetes) or the "Beautiful Hairy Sea Monster" (Kaloketos pilosus). The names of some genera were inspired by Japanese movie monsters, for example, the "Swimming Mothra" (Pleomothra), the "Strong Godzilla" (Godzillius robustus) or the "Gnome Godzilla" (Godzilliognomus).During a cave diving expedition to explore the Tunnel de la Atlantida, the world's longest submarine lava tube on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, an international team of scientists and cave divers have discovered a previously unknown species of crustacean, belonging to the remipede genus Speleonectes, and two new species of annelid worms of the class Polychaeta.The team consisted of scientists from Texas A&M University and Pennsylvania State University in the U.S., the University of La Laguna in Spain, and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover and University of Hamburg, both in Germany. The extensive results of the Atlantida Diving Expedition will be presented in a special issue of the Springer journal Marine Biodiversity, comprising seven articles, to be published in September 2009.The newly discovered species of Remipedia was named Speleonectes atlantida, after the cave system it inhabits. It is morphologically very similar to Speleonectes ondinae, a remipede that has been known from the same lava tube since 1985. Based on DNA comparisons, the group of Prof. Stefan Koenemann from the Institute for Animal Ecology and Cell Biology of TiHo Hannover conclusively proved that the lava tunnel harbors a second remipede species. The divergence of the two species may have occurred after the formation of the six-kilometer lava tube during an eruption of the Monte Corona volcano some 20,000 years ago.Remipedia are among the most remarkable biological discoveries of the last 30 years. The first specimens of this crustacean group were discovered in 1979 during dives in a marine cave system on Grand Bahama in the Bahamas archipelago. Since then, 22 species of Remipedia have been discovered. The main distribution area of the cave-limited group extends from the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, through the northeastern Caribbean. However, two geographically isolated species inhabit caves in Western Australia and Lanzarote.The occurrence of these disjunct species has continues to give rise to speculation about the evolutionary origins and history of Remipedia. Since it is assumed that the relatively small (largest specimens are up to four centimeters long) and eyeless cave-dwellers could not cross an entire ocean by actively swimming, there must be other reasons for their disjunct global distribution. It has therefore been suggested that Remipedia are a very ancient crustacean group, which was already widespread in the oceans of the Mesozoic, over 200 million years ago. For these reasons, remipedes are often considered as a primeval group of crustaceans.According to this evolutionary scenario, the newly discovered species Speleonectes atlantida and the previously known species Speleonectes ondina, both occurring in the undersea lava tube on Lanzarote, would represent ancient relicts that became isolated from the main Caribbean group during the formation of the Atlantic Ocean.

New worm species found: The Green Bomber

Thousands of feet beneath the sea live worms that can cast off green glowing body parts, a move scientists think may be a defensive effort to confuse attackers.Researchers have dubbed the newly discovered critters "green bombers."The seven new species of worms were found by a team led by Karen Osborn of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. They report on the worms in Friday's edition of the journal Science."We found a whole new group of fairly large, extraordinary animals that we never knew anything about before," Osborn said in a statement. "These are not rare animals. Often when we see them they number in the hundreds. What's unique is that their habitat is really hard to sample."Ranging in size from three-fourths of an inch to nearly four inches, the worms live at depths of 5,900 feet to more than 12,000 feet and were discovered by remotely operated submarines in both the northeast and western Pacific Ocean."They have a very strange way of using bioluminescence," Osborn explained in a briefing.They have appendages, some round, others oval or long, which they release when they are disturbed, she said. Once release the appendage, it glows bright green."They drop one or two at a time and if you keep harassing them they will keep dropping them," she said, adding that the worms are able to regenerate the body parts.It's the first time this has been seen in swimming worms, she said, although some brittle stars and some squids will let an arm drop off if attacked."We're not sure who their predators are," added Osborn, but she noted that fish prey on other types of swimming worms.The closest relative to the newly found creatures are worms that burrow in the sea floor, Osborn said, "at some point they moved up into the water."The first of the new species has been given the scientific name Swima bombiviridis.The discovery emphasizes how little is known about life in the deep oceans, the researchers wrote.The research was funded by the Scripps Institution, University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the National Geographic Society

A new subspecies of Blind Cave Fish

A new subspecies of Blind Cave Fish of the genus Garra (Teleostei:Cyprinidae) from Wadi Al Wurayah pools, Emirate of Fujairah, United ArabEmirates is described. This subspecies is distinguished from the other threesubspecies of Garra barreimiae living in Bahrain, Oman and United Arab Emirates,by its distinctive body colouration and the small size. It is morphologicallyand geographically distinct from the other subspecies. The new subspecies wasnamed Garra barreimiae wurayahi Khalaf, 2009.During a field trip to Wadi Al Wurayah, the U.A.E.'s first mountain protectedarea, located in Al Hajar Mountains, Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates,on Friday the 26th June 2009, accompanied with my wife Ola and my daughter Nora,I inspected Wadi Al Wurayah pools and waterfall, and saw many blind cave fish(Garra barreimiae Fowler and Steinitz, 1956) swimming in the pool waters. Thesefish were observed, examined and measured.Description and Distinctive Features:After examining Garra barreimiae at the pools of Wadi Al Wurayah, I begancomparing between the different Arabian Blind Cave Fish subspecies. There arethree Garra barreimiae subspecies living in the Arabian Peninsula: The two OmaniBlind Cave Fish subspecies Garra barreimiae barreimiae Fowler & Steinitz, 1956,from Al Buraimi Oasis; and Garra barreimiae gallagheri Krupp, 1988, from Seeqand Wadi Bani Khalid north of Muqal; and the Emirati Blind Cave Fish subspeciesGarra barreimiae shawkahensis Banister and Clarke, 1977, from Wadi Shawkah,Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.Garra barreimiae, named after the Al Buraimi Oasis, Oman, is by far the mostcommon native freshwater fish species found in the United Arab Emirates. In manywadis Garra barreimiae is the only fish present. The Wadi Al Wurayah subspeciesGarra barreimiae wurayahi Khalaf, 2009, have a small size. Young specimens are1-4 centimeters, and adults are 4.5–7 centimeters. They are mottled brown incolour, typically dark but varying somewhat with the surroundings. Larger adultssometimes show more colourful red, white or blue markings, probably related tobreeding status.Distribution:Garra barreimiae is endemic to Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and northern Oman.Separate subspecies have been recognized on the east and west flanks of theHajar Mountains, respectively, but these cannot be distinguished by fieldobservation alone. The subspecies Garra barreimiae wurayahi is endemic to WadiAl Wurayah, Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. The genus Garra is knownfrom East Africa to South Asia and several other Garra species are endemic tothe mountains of south-western Arabia, but the closest relatives of Garrabarreimiae is thought to be the newly discovered Omani Garra smarti, and theIrani Garra persica, which is widespread in southern Iran.Natural History and Habitat:Garra barreimiae has a behavioural tendency to explore upstream, which probablyfacilitates dispersal when the wadis flow. Smaller adults have been observed toclimb several meters up waterfalls, using the wet surface of the splash zoneadjacent to the main flow of water, sometimes wriggling, sometimes jettingforward, resting periodically with pectoral fins spread, the mouth plate engagedfor suction, and the tail twisted and pressed flat against the rock.They feed on detritus and algae and have a specialized mouth plate thatfunctions as a suction device. They resemble aquarium catfish as they nuzzletheir way over gravel and rock surfaces, but they dart about frantically whenapproached in shallow pools where they are vulnerable to terrestrial and avianpredators.Little is known about the life history of G. barreimiae in the wild. Severalanecdotal reports exist of the release of eggs and sperm during transport ofspecimens, provoking speculation that spawning may be triggered by turbulence,mimicking that of a wadi in spate. G. barreimiae will cannibalize its own eggsif conditions permit. Experiments have shown that G. barreimiae can toleratewater temperatures up to ca. 40ºC (104ºF) and salinity up to one-third that ofsea water, but they usually live in water temperature between 18°C - 24°C, andpH range: 6.5 - 7.5; and dH range: 10 – 20.Garra and Locals:Garra barreimiae is caught and eaten by human residents of the Hajar Mountains,even today. The normal technique employs a V-shaped stone dam to channel thefish onto a portable sieve-like platform made from palm ribs, wire mesh or nylonnetting. This can be very effective, eliminating all but the very smallest fishin the area, but only G. barreimiae is taken for food, even when other speciesare present.Status:Vulnerable (IUCN).Conclusion:After examining the Garra barreimiae at Wadi Al Wurayah shallow pools, andcomparing the different Arabian Blind Cave Fish subspecies, and referring tomany zoological references, and searching the Internet, I came finally to aconclusion that we are in front of a new subspecies of the Blind Cave Fish fromWadi Al Wurayah pools, Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.I gave it the scientific name Garra barreimiae wurayahi, new subspecies. Thesubspecies name "wurayahi" is Latin for Wadi Al Wurayah.Garra barreimiae wurayahi, new subspecies:Scientific trinomial name: Garra barreimiae wurayahi Khalaf, 2009.Common Name: Emirati Blind Cave Fish, Wadi Al Wurayah Blind Cave Fish.Location: Wadi Al Wurayah pools, Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.Date of capture: 26th June, 2009.

Psychedelic New Species Discovered

There have been quite a few species discovered recently! Some of them include a new species of sting ray, an iron breathing microbial species, butterfly species and ten new amphibian species discovered in Colombia! The WILD Foundation’s favorite new species is a fish: Histiophryne Psychedelica. Officially discovered off the coast of Indonesia about a year and a half ago, this is a new species of frogfish. Their faces resemble what you could see when looking into a kaleidoscope: white stripes and bright colors (very “psychedelic”!).Their coloring allows them to blend in with surrounding coral in order to hide from potential predators. In addition to the WILD colors, their faces are almost human-like with eyes that face forward. Their bodies are fleshy and have folds, allowing them to “swim” (more like bounce around) into coral and hide without injuring themselves. Overall, this fish is an extremely interesting find! Very fun to watch, too: check out the video!

New Red Alga Discovered In Mediterranean Sea

An international team of researchers led by the University of Girona (UoG) has described a new species of red algae (Leptofauchea coralligena) in the western Mediterranean. This is the only species of the Leptofauchea genus currently known to be in the Mediterranean."The species that we have described, Leptofauchea coralligena, is a deep water red alga which can often be found in the western Mediterranean between the end of winter and autumn. It is of great ecological importance, given that it is a species characteristic of the coral lining situated between 30 and 45 metres below the surface", explains Conxi Rodríguez-Prieto, main author of the study and director of the UoG's Marine Benthic Algae team.The study of the red algae is mainly based on the morphology of the female reproductive structure and on the post-fertilisation stages. Rodríguez-Prieto affirms that "many macroalgae species were described based on sterile specimens, leading to many being classified in the wrong taxonomic groups (order, family, genus, species, and even class)".This is what happened with Leptofauchea coralligena, which, "despite being a very common species, until now was thought to belong to the Rhodymenia genus, and specifically to the Rhodymenia ardissonei species", clarifies the researcher.However, "the authentic Rhodymenia ardissonei is a common but sparse species which lives close to the surface and reproduces in a different manner (which is why it belongs even to a different family)", points out the scientist. The description of Leptofauchea coralligena, a new species for science, was possible thanks to the fact that researchers found fertile specimens and could study their reproduction.The study, recently published in the European Journal of Phycology, included the collaboration of Olivier De Clerck, a researcher from the University of Ghent (Belgium) and phycologist who is "very well-known internationally and someone with whom we have collaborated for years", adds Rodríguez-Prieto. DNA sequencing was used to confirm that the new species belongs to the Leptofauchea genus.Getting to know marine biodiversityThe Mediterranean has a great diversity of algae, but they are little known due to being so difficult to collect; they grow all the way from the surface down to 110 metres in depth. According to Rodríguez-Prieto, "the study of marine macroalgae is notably delayed in comparison to that of land plants", because individual diving did not begin until the mid 20th century.The scientific community considers the "conservation of biodiversity" fundamental , and it is therefore necessary to know which species currently exist and what their physiological requirements are.The UoG team, specialised in the reproduction, ecophysiology and ecology of red algae, especially those in deep water, is currently carrying out diverse studies on the effects of climate change. The scientists hope to "determine if the warming of the Mediterranean may affect the development and growth of various macroalgae species, among them the Leptofauchea coralligena", says Rodríguez-Prieto.Journal reference:Rodriguez-Prieto et al. Leptofauchea coralligena (Faucheaceae, Rhodophyta), a new species from the Mediterranean Sea. European Journal of Phycology, 2009; 44 (1): 107 DOI: 10.1080/09670260802357111Plataforma SINC

New Species Thrives In Extremely High Temperature And Pressure

A new species of archaebacteria, Pyrococcus CH1, thriving within a temperature range of 80 to 105°C and able to divide itself up to a hydrostatic pressure of 120 Mpa (1000 times higher than the atmospheric pression), has just been discovered.

This discovery was made by the microbiologists of the Microbiology of Extreme Environments Laboratory (Joint Research Unit between the CNRS, Ifremer and University of Western Brittany UBO), in partnership with the Institute of Oceanography of Xiamen (China) and the Earth Science Laboratory (JRU CNRS, ENS Lyon and University of Lyon). This archaebacteria had been isolated from samples of the "Serpentine" (1) cruise, during which a Franco-Russian team has explored the mid-Atlantic ridge for six weeks in order to discover new hydrothermal vents.
The scientific paper about this discovery is published in The ISME Journal (May issue).
Extremophiles… unexpected worlds
Researches about extremophilic microorganisms, species which thrives in extreme conditions that are detrimental to the majority of life on Earth, constitute many promising “worlds to discover”. In terms of biodiversity, those unexpected forms of life show that the inventory of all species living on Earth is far from being done. Extremophilic microorganisms also reveal their amazing adaptive strategies, which reinforces the possibility of life on other planets.
The particularities of Pyrococcus CH1
The piezophilic microorganisms constitute a subgroup of extremophiles. Discovered on the site “Ashadze”(2) at 4100 m depth, CH1 strain was successfully isolated and assigned to the genus Pyrococcus, within the Euryarchaeota lineage of the Archae domain. This organism grows within a temperature range of 85 to 105°C and a pressure range of 15 to 150 MPa, with optima for 98°C and 52 MPa respectively. It is unable to grow for pressures below 15 MPa.
Pyrococcus CH1 is the first obligate piezo-hyperthermophilic(3) archaeon from the deepest vent field explored so far.
This discovery extends the physical and chemical limits of life on Earth and strengthens the idea of the existence of a hyperthermophilic biosphere in the depth of our planet. The study of the microorganisms in the seabed sediments of ocean plates seems very promising. Indeed, the hydrothermal vents offer extremes conditions of temperature, pressure and fluids composition for the microorganisms.
What are the possible benefits of those microorganisms?
Thanks to extreme conditions of development, their enzymes are thermostable and able to function in reactors under pressure. It is tempting to use them in industrial processes, which require high levels of temperature and pressure, notably to gain high value added products, presently resulting from fine chemistry.
Notes:
1) The Serpentine cruise was lead by Yves Fouquet, Head of GEODE Multi-disciplinary Studies of Extreme Environments in the Deep Seas and head of the Geochemistry and Metallogeny Laboratory of Ifremer Brest. It has gathered geologists, geochemists, biologists and microbiologists.
2) At 4100 m depth, "Achadze" is the deepest active hydrothermal site known so far. It was explored for the first time with the ROV Victor 6000 operated from Ifremer's research vessel "Pourquoi pas?."
3) A piezophile (also called a barophile) is an organism which thrives at high pressures, a hyperthermophile, an organism which thrives in extremely hot environments.
Journal reference:
Xiang Zeng, Jean-Louis Birrien, Yves Fouquet, Georgy Cherkashov, Mohamed Jebbar, Joël Querellou, Philippe Oger, Marie-Anne Cambon-Bonavita, Xiang Xiao and Daniel Prieur. Pyrococcus CH1, an obligate piezophilic hyperthermophile: extending the upper pressure-temperature limits for life. The ISME Journal, 2009; DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2009.21
Adapted from materials provided by CNRS.

Scripps Oceanography Invites Donors To Name An Ocean Species

Every year scientists discover new species of marine life from deep within the vast global oceans. Each of these new discoveries adds to the catalog of known organisms on Earth, and deepens the knowledge of ocean biodiversity.Several of the most important libraries of ocean specimens in the world are housed at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Known as the Scripps Oceanographic Collections, and referenced by scientists all over the world, these holdings of biological and geological marine specimens tell a unique and evolving story of life on Earth, and provide answers to questions about Earth's future.In response to severe budget cuts to the collections over the past several years, Scripps is introducing a novel way for donors to show their support for these valuable and irreplaceable science and teaching resources: by naming a newly discovered marine species.Every year collections staff and researchers discover new species of marine creatures. Some specimens set new records, such as the stout infantfish (Schindleria brevipinguis), co-described by Scripps as the world's smallest fish in 2004.Traditionally, the person who first describes a newfound plant or animal is entitled to name it, but now, Scripps is inviting the public to share in the process by naming select newly discovered species acquired by the institution. The names can be selected by a donor for themself or a friend or family member, and are then introduced in scientific publications that establishes the new species name permanently.Currently, the Scripps Oceanographic Collections hold several new marine species that are available for naming. They include a rare hydrothermal vent worm ($50,000), two types of worms found living on deep-sea whale bones ($25,000), an orange, speckled nudibranch ($15,000), and a spiny worm found in the kelp forests of La Jolla cove( $10,000). Several fishes from the Gulf of California as well as several new species discovered in local La Jolla waters are also available to be named.The cost to name Scripps' newly discovered creatures starts at $5,000. Donors who name a species will receive a framed print of their named organism, as well as a copy of the scientific publication in which it is first described."By supporting the collections through species naming, donors have an opportunity for their name, or the name of a person they love or respect, to be immortalized forever," said Greg Rouse, curator of the Scripps Benthic Invertebrate Collection. "This type of unique gift highlights the vast unknown diversity in the sea that Scripps scientists are working to document and describe."While offering the rights to name species may be a relatively new trend, naming species after people is not. For example, a feather-duster worm from Australia was named in honor of Rouse, Pseudofabriciola rousei.Funds raised through this new naming opportunity will be used to help maintain and build upon the Scripps Oceanographic Collections for future generations of scientists.University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography