A new species discovered in the depths of the sea. “Mythical”
About 550 kilometers from Tokyo, a new species was found. Scientists say that this is a patellogastropod, a good or other representative of sea snails.
The discovery was made at a depth of over 5,000 meters under the water level. The new creation was found by the Japanese manned Batyskaf Shinkai 6500. The vehicle operator took photos of mysterious creatures with a digital camera, after which he managed to pick one of them for further tests. The effects were published on July 24 in the “Zoosystematics and Evolution” magazine.
Japan. A new species of sea snail
Researchers found unusual, conical creatures in the depths of the ocean. They were attached to the volcanic rocks and were assessed as “quite large”. Their length was estimated at about 5 cm. Scientists have found that they must be a kind of sea snails: halgs or patellogastropodes.
Experts emphasized that it was a new species and certainly the deepest living among the aforementioned group of animals. They paid attention to its thin, transparent shell in blue-gray. They added that it is slightly flexible, which probably reflects the high content of organic substances.
The creation under the shell was reddish brown when it was still alive. It moved with a single muscle with a wavy edge. “There were several specimens from Batyskaf, but only one managed to successfully secure,” emphasized scientists from the research team: Chong Chen, Miwako Tsuda and Yoshiyuki Ishitani.
Bathylepteta Wadatsumi. The animal was named after the manga hero
Ultimately, the creation was named Bathylepta of the DADatsumi. They were described as “mysterious” or even “mythical” and emphasized that the name was received from the maritime God of Japanese mythology. The global media also pointed out that the other half of the name of the sea snail was borrowed from the character from the popular manga “One Piece” Eiichiro Ody.
Researchers also mentioned that related species of sea snails were found in the depths at the banks of Chile. On this basis, it was estimated that it was in the huge area between Chile and Japan that the area of these mysterious creatures is located.
“The use of the BatySkaf was crucial in reaching these environments. It allowed direct observation and gathering of organisms, such as Bathyleptet, which have previously been overlooked,” emphasized scientists. Experts announce that the sea depths still hide many such surprises.
