Scientists Identify New Bioluminescent Sea Slug in Midnight Zone After 25 Years

Nov 14, 2024, 12:19 AM

Scientists have discovered a new species of sea slug, the first known to inhabit the ocean's 'midnight zone', at depths between 3,300 to 13,100 feet below the surface in Monterey Bay, California. The gelatinous, bioluminescent creature, first spotted over 20 years ago, has taken nearly 25 years and over 150 sightings to identify as a new species of nudibranch. Uniquely adapted to its deep-sea environment, the sea slug possesses a translucent body, 'strawberry' limbs, a tail like fingers, and a hood used for hunting, resembling a Venus flytrap. Remarkably, it swims—an unusual trait for nudibranchs—using its floppy, foghorn-shaped hood to shoot water jets, highlighting the importance of mobility at such depths. Researchers note that "this little critter is an indicator of how much there is yet to discover in the deep ocean." The discovery is notable not only for the time it took to properly classify the organism but also because it belongs to a whole new family of sea slugs.