teuthidodrilus ( also known as the squidworm ) , is a genus of marine polychaete worms first described by marine biologists from the scripps institution of oceanography in november 2010 .

this unique animal is currently believed to represent a " transitional organism " , with physical and behavioral characteristics of both benthic ( seabed-dwelling ) and pelagic ( free-swimming ) organisms .

teuthidodrilus samae is currently the only described species of this genus .

teuthidodrilus is closely related to the recently discovered swima genus , another pelagic cirratuliform worm of the deep ocean .

teuthidodrilus

sometimes teuthidodrilus samae is described as ' squidlike ' but from the clip it looks more like an underwater centipede that moves in fascinating undulations .
the teuthidodrilus samae was discovered in the celebes sea basin over 2 , 500 meters deep and belongs to the same phylum as the earthworm .
family acrocirridae : teuthidodrilus samae osborn , madin & rouse , 2011 ( specimen from the celebes sea , photographed alive in the laboratory aboard the research vessel ) .
that is a species of teuthidodrilus (
squidworm
, and acrocirrid polychaete ) . there is a single species described from the celebes sea , teuthidodrilus samae . video from 2004 indian ocean serpent project in a similar area but much shallower ( 1014 m ) had different postures and swimming behaviour than the celebes sea one : urltoken
observed between 1 . 2 and 1 . 8 miles ( 2 and 2 . 9 kilometers ) below the ocean surface , teuthidodrilus samae lives neither on the seafloor nor in the sunny shallows .
there is something mesmerizing about this clip of a squid worm , also named teuthidodrilus samae by researchers after it was ' discovered ' recently in the depths of the celebes sea between indonesian and the philippines .
whatever the cause of the squid worm ' s chimerical form , it apparently works .
numerous
specimens were observed during just a few dives , the study authors write—suggesting teuthidodrilus is common and thriving in the region .
teuthidodrilus samae ( segmented worm ) - squidworm meet the squidworm urltoken riferimenti biology letters the remarkable squidworm is an example of discoveries that await in deep - pelagic habitats http : / / rsbl . royalsocietypublishing . or . . .
this is a species of acrocirrid polychaete worm . it was seen in rov footage at over 2500 m depth in the indian ocean . it is a species from the genus teuthidodrilus . teuthidodrilus sp . is known as the “squidworm” because of the tentacle - like appearance of its branchiae and palps . at around 10 cm in length these worms are relatively large for polychaetes . other polychaete species are much more likely to be found living within the sediment .
seven species of pelagic ( free - swimming ) terebellids have recently been discovered , including swima in 2009 and teuthidodrilus in 2010 . these seven species have been assigned to four new genera , forming a phylogenetic clade within the acrocirridae family .
new anatomical and genetic analysis of the squidworm teuthidodrilus samae has revealed it to be a segmented worm - - an annelid , just as the earthworm is . but its appearance is far stranger than any backyard night crawler you ' ve ever seen .
the woods hole scientists called the newly discovered creature a squid worm because it had characteristics of both species , but it has since been given the scientific name teuthidodrilus samae . the creature is an annelid , the same phylum to which earthworms also belong .
researchers , from woods hole oceanographic institute in massachusetts and the scripps institute of oceanography in california named it teuthidodrilus samae – a new genus and species . they said :
this illustrates how much we have to learn about even the large , common inhabitants of deep pelagic communities .
the paper , published tuesday in the journal biology letters , describes the new species at length for the first time and officially christens the creature teuthidodrilus samae , or
squid worm of the sama
—the sama being a culture with ties to philippine islands not far from the discovery site .
teuthidodrilus swims around by using two sets of paddle - like
legs
that cascade up and down like dominoes . flatworms move in a somewhat similar manner by undulating their edges to provide thrust to keep them moving , if you need a visual image of a more familiar ocean creature to picture how they move .
to me , teuthidodrilus samae is fascinating because it once again demonstrates that there is more new and exciting in nature that has yet to be revealed , if we can work to maintain our oceans and natural environments . the ocean location where the squid worm was first seen is one of the richest remaining for new species discoveries .
the flamboyant squid worm is a newly described of deep sea annelid which was recently discovered in the ocean depths near the philippines . the new squid - worm was recently described as teuthidodrilus samae and it is unlike anything yet seen before . teuthidodrilus lives in open water using it’s modified spines as oars to swim through the water and it’s squid - like tentacles to both breathe and capture prey . at four inches long , it is easy to clearly see one of the flamboyant squid worms and it’s ostentatious design with the naked eye and it would be amazing to see some of these creatures on display at a public aquarium . the flamboyant squid worm is seemingly abundant but for now it’s habitat of open water a mile under the surface is somewhat off limits for the average marine ornamental collector .
it’s formal name – teuthidodrilus samae – means squidworm of the sama , the people who live in the local philippine islands . “the name was suggested by the philippino collaborators that took part in the expedition that discovered the animal , “ says karen osborn from the scripps institution of oceanography , who first discovered the worm in 2007 . using remote - controlled submarines , osborn explored the depths of the western celebes sea off the eastern coast of borneo .
swima is a genus of polychaete worm that lives in the deep ocean . this deep ocean pelagic ( free - swimming ) annelid has modified bioluminescent gills that can be cast off from an individual . these discarded gills somewhat resemble green
bombs
that remain illuminated for several seconds after they have been discarded . it is thought that this is a defensive mechanism rather than reproductive , as it is seen in both mature and juvenile individuals . animals of the swima genus are closely related to the recently discovered teuthidodrilus genus , another pelagic cirratuliform of the bathyal zone .
while exploring the deep water of the celebes sea in 2007 , scientists working on the census of marine life vacuumed up a strange chimeric animal . with the body of a polychaete and many long appendages on its head , they dubbed it
squidworm ,
although in truth it is entirely worm . the squidworm ( teuthidodrilus samae ) has ten tentacles on its head that are quite thick and nearly as long as its body . eight are used for breathing and feeling , and the other two are for grabbing particulate food from the water . the worms also have six pairs of feathery sensory organs called nuchal organs that are essentially their version of a nose . the worms propel themselves with paddle - like parapodia and fans of golden bristles .
the newly named squid worm was found deep off the philippines ( more pictures of deep - sea animals ) .
what ' s that ?
said scientists of the tentacle - headed swimmer . now they know .
scanning the depths off the philippines in 2007 , an undersea robot beamed back video of a worm—or was it a squid , or a worm eating a squid ? —with spiraling appendages , iridescent
oars ,
and a feathery
nose .
when the image came onto the screen , everyone said , oh my gosh , what ' s that ?
recalled marine zoologist laurence madin of the woods hole oceanographic institution in massachusetts .
thanks to a new study co - authored by madin , we now have the answer . the animal— as suspected —turned out to be a bizarrely bedecked marine worm totally new to science . ( see marine - worm pictures . )
( related :
large , ' glamorous ' new glowing squid found .
)
relatively long , at nearly four inches ( nine centimeters ) , the new annelid worm earned its moniker with a head that looks as if it ' s covered in tentacles .
its front end bristles with eight arms used for breathing—each as long as the worm ' s entire body—and two long , loosely coiled appendages employed for feeding .
as if that weren ' t enough hardware , six pairs of feathery sensory organs—the squid worm ' s collective
nose
—protrude from the new species ' head . and along the length of its body , the worm has iridescent
paddles
for propulsion .
whatever it is , it ' s
definitely flamboyant ,
said kristian fauchald , curator of annelid worms at the us . national museum of natural history in washington , d . c . , who wasn ' t part of the study .
( related :
alien - like squid with ' elbows ' filmed at drilling site .
)
beyond its appearance , the squid worm fascinates scientists in part because its odd features suggest the worm may be a transitional form—a species caught in a burst of evolutionary adaptation as it straddles two very different habitats , said study co - author karen osborn , an evolutionary biologist at the university of california , santa cruz .
instead , the worm inhabits a dark in - between realm , where the limited observations done so far show the worm feeding off plankton and other nutritious detritus in the water .
and its homely charms apparently work on humans , or at least on worm curators .
it has done all sorts of peculiar things to its body ,
fauchald said .
i ' m delighted by it .
a plankton - feeding worm that uses bristles to swim and sports slender
arms
on its head , has been discovered nearly 3 , 000 metres below sea level off the indonesian coast . the squid - like creature , which grows to 9cm or more , was captured by a robotic submersible in the celebes sea , a marine basin that plunges to 6 , 200 metres at its deepest .
in a series of exploration dives , researchers spotted the worm , slowly rising and falling in the water around 100m above the seafloor , where it feeds on passing plankton . the worm swims or treads water by waving hundreds of bristles that run along the length of its body on either side .
the 10 slender arm - like appendages that give the worm its unusual appearance are a combination of elongated gills and sensory organs . they are probably used to pick scraps of food from the
marine snow
of organic detritus that constantly falls to the seabed from above . each is as long or longer than the whole of the worm ' s body .
the discovery has surprised scientists because the creature appears to be so common . in seven underwater missions the submersible spotted 16 individual specimens .
how could such an animal evade collection until now ?
the team writes in the journal biology letters .
the celebes sea is thought to have formed more than 40m years ago between what is now the philippines and indonesia . the deepest parts of the sea are isolated from surrounding waters by shallow sills , so marine life there has evolved in a unique and largely undisturbed environment . the sea lies at the centre of the coral triangle , an area considered a conservation hotspot due to its diverse and unusual marine life .
the worm was discovered during an expedition in 2007 , when the researchers collected seven specimens from depths ranging from 2 , 028m to 2 , 912m using traps and suction devices on the robotic submersible max rover global explorer .
while the juveniles are almost transparent , adults are dark brown and covered with a gelatinous sheath . a similar animal was spotted , but not captured , by another submersible off western india in october 2004 .
© 2018 guardian news and media limited or its affiliated companies . all rights reserved .
new hybrid deep - sea vehicle descends 6 . 8 miles in the challenger deep
by amy nevala , lonny lippsett : : originally published online june 4 , 2009 : in print vol . 47 , no . 3 , dec . 2009
it took a village of engineers to build a completely new type of unmanned deep - sea robot that can reach the deepest part of the ocean . on may 31 , 2009 , a team of engineers at woods hole oceanographic institution ( whoi ) celebrated as the unique vehicle called nereus dove to 10 , 902 meters ( 6 . 8 miles ) in the western pacific ocean’s mariana trench .
“until now , exploring below 6 , 500 meters ( 4 miles ) with any vehicle was impossible or impractical , ” said andy bowen , a whoi engineer and project manager for nereus . “in 2000 , we began to conceive a vehicle capable of reaching those final 4 , 000 meters of the ocean , which are virtually unexplored . ”
to build nereus to withstand the crushing pressures at such depths—especially at the relatively inexpensive cost of $ 8 million—the engineering team “pushed the envelope on a lot of fronts of technology , ” whoi engineer matt heintz said .
“every square inch of nereus is designed to withstand about a thousand times the pressure that we are exposed to right here on earth’s surface , ” bowen said . “each square inch of nereus is loaded with about 15 , 000 pounds ; that ' s equivalent to having three suvs stacked on your big toe . that’s a shocking amount of energy that is trying to squeeze nereus and cause it to implode . ”
different engineers spearheaded different components of the vehicle : batteries for power , materials for flotation , a robotic manipulator arm , new lighting and camera systems , a fiber - optic cable to connect the unmanned nereus to pilots aboard a ship . yet each component had to be compensated for to make the whole package work .
“if any one thing is overdone , then it impacts everything else , ” whoi engineer daniel gomez - ibañez said . “so it was finding a balance of many things”—power , weight , size , materials , durability , safety , and cost .
for example , gomez - ibañez said , “you can’t just solve the problem ( of supplying enough power ) by putting in more batteries , because that would make the vehicle too heavy . ”
“and then you need more flotation , so you need to have a bigger vehicle , ” said whoi engineer jon howland . “it quickly becomes an intractable problem . ”
“ nereus is a hybrid—a combination of two types of vehicles in a single platform , ” bowen said . it can operate as a free - swimming autonomous underwater vehicle ( auv ) , flying through the ocean like an aircraft to survey and map large areas with sonar , sensors , and cameras .
but it can then be converted aboard ship into a remotely operated vehicle ( rov ) connected to a surface ship via a lightweight , micro - thin fiber - optic tether . in rov mode , nereus can hover like a helicopter over a targeted seafloor site while shipboard pilots use the umbilical tether to receive images from the seafloor and to control a manipulator arm in real time to collect samples and conduct experiments .
“the idea behind the hybrid system is that we launch nereus first as an auv and cover a lot of ground fast , ” heintz said . “it would be too time - consuming to do that with the rov . once we download the sonar data and images , we can make maps and figure out points of interest . then we reconfigure nereus as an rov to do discrete work in specific places . ”
“by combining both of these capabilities in a single platform , we don’t have to mount two separate tools to the same place , “ bowen said . “ nereus can also operate from smaller ships , so we realize cost savings to conduct expeditions . ”
reflecting its dual nature , the vehicle was named nereus ( rhymes with “serious” ) , a mythical greek god with a fish tail and a man’s torso .
the tethering system presented one of the greatest challenges in developing a cost - effective rov capable of reaching extreme depths . traditional robotic systems use heavy , steel - reinforced cables containing copper wires to power the vehicle and optical fibers to transmit information between the ship and the vehicle . such a cable , extended to reach the seafloor in the mariana trench , would snap under its own weight .
to solve this challenge , the nereus team adapted fiber - optic technology developed by the navy’s space and naval warfare systems center pacific to carry real - time video and other data between nereus and the surface crew . the tether is composed of a glass fiber core with a very thin protective jacket of plastic . it is about as wide as a human hair , weighs less than a kilogram , and will break if a force of only 4 kilograms ( 8 . 8 pounds ) is applied . as nereus descends , it spools out up to 40 kilometers ( 25 miles ) of micro - fiber tether from two canisters the size of large coffee cans .
“now , if that little fiber breaks , it doesn ' t mean we lose the vehicle , because the vehicle turns back into an auv and comes home , ” heintz said . ( in fact , the tether broke twice on nereu s’s recent cruise without repercussions ) . nereus ’s dual capabilities also make it suitable for use in polar oceans covered by ice that poses risks to tethers .
unlike traditional cables to rovs , however , the micro - fiber tether cannot supply power , so nereus has to rely on batteries . more than 4 , 000 lithium - ion batteries , similar to those used in laptop computers and cell phones , are packed into nereus . it was gomez - ibañez’s task to carefully test the batteries to ensure they could be used safely and reliably under the intense pressure .
louis whitcomb of the johns hopkins university and dana yoerger of whoi were co - principal investigators of the nereus project and were responsible for development of the vehicle’s navigation and control system . heintz worked on a hydraulically operated robotic manipulator arm that could operate under intense pressure and use the vehicle ' s limited battery power efficiently . whoi engineer jon howland led efforts to create efficient lighting and camera systems .
whoi engineer don peters oversaw a major advance : using hollow ceramic spheres—precisely designed and fabricated to withstand pressure—to provide flotation . about 1 , 500 of the 9 - centimeter ( 3 . 5 - inch ) spheres are packed into nereus ’s two hulls , instead of the much heavier and more expensive syntactic foam traditionally used in deep - sea vehicles operated by whoi , such as the human - occupied submersible alvin or the rov jason . ceramics were also used for pressure - resistant housings , replacing heavier and expensive titanium .
on may 24 , the team left guam aboard the research vessel kilo moana to begin a two - week engineering test cruise . they headed 210 southwest to the challenger deep , the deepest part of the mariana trench , which at about 11 , 000 meters ( 36 , 000 feet ) is the deepest part of the ocean . the tallest point on earth , mount everest , rises 8 , 850 meters ( 29 , 035 feet ) above sea level .
“so the mariana trench represents sort of the inverted pinnacle to demonstrate a robot’s capability to explore the depths , ” bowen said .
only two other vehicles have succeeded in reaching the mariana trench : the u . s . navy - built bathyscaphe trieste , which carried jacques piccard and don walsh there in 1960 , and the japanese - built robot kaiko , which made three unmanned expeditions to the trench between 1995 and 1998 . trieste was retired in 1966 , and kaiko was lost at sea in 2003 .
before leaving for guam , bowen said : “we’re very nervous about the prospects of taking nereus into the deep trenches , even though all the systems have been exhaustively tested . you never really know until you get there whether you ' ve done your job properly , so i think all of us will be probably not sleeping well up until the point where we get the vehicle down to the very deepest part of the trench . ”
on may 31 , the team could relax : nereus made it down and back .
“we have a tremendous group involved in the development of nereus , ” bowen said . “we had the benefit of being able to draw on a long and very strong tradition of developing underwater technology—from the early days when the alvin submersible first came on the scene and set the institution on a path of attracting engineers with specialized skills , to more recently , with whoi’s experience developing tethered and autonomous vehicles . ”
“i think it would difficult to imagine another organization being able to bring together the range of skills and expertise that were necessary to undertake a completely new design like this . ”
funding to develop nereus was provided by the national science foundation , the office of naval research , the national oceanic and atmospheric administration , the russell family foundation , and whoi .
animation , applied ocean physics & engineering dept . , center for marine robotics , challenger deep , deep ocean exploration institute , hrov nereus , hybrid rov , kilo moana , mariana trench , national deep submergence facility , ndsf , russell family foundation
woods hole oceanographic institution is the world ' s leading non - profit oceanographic research organization . our mission is to explore and understand the ocean and to educate scientists , students , decision - makers , and the public .
© woods hole oceanographic institution . online edition : issn 1559 - 1263 . all rights reserved
we are the world’s leading , independent , non - profit organization dedicated to ocean research , exploration , and education .
the woods hole oceanographic institution is a private , independent organization in falmouth , mass . , dedicated to marine research , engineering , and higher education . established in 1930 on a recommendation from the national academy of sciences , its primary mission is to understand the oceans and their interaction with the earth as a whole , and to communicate a basic understanding of the oceans’ role in the changing global environment .
interactive tour of nereus to learn more . ( matt heintz , woods hole oceanographic institution )
>
the newly developed hybrid rov nereus is launched from the rv kilo moana during a test cruise in 2007 off hawaii . on may 31 , 2009 , nereus dove to the challenger deep in the mariana trench . the dive makes nereus the world’s deepest - diving vehicle and the first vehicle to explore the mariana trench since 1998 . take an interactive tour of nereus to learn more . ( matt heintz , woods hole oceanographic institution )
a specialized manipulator arm of the newly built hybrid remotely operated vehicle nereus samples sediment from the deepest part of the world ' s ocean - - the mariana trench . ( woods hole oceanographic institution )
whoi biologist tim shank ( at right ) and patty fryer ( left ) , a geologist with the university of hawaii , examine the samples retrieved from the mariana trench by the vehicle . ( barbara fletcher , spawar systems center paciific )
whoi summer student fellow eleanor bors examines a sea cucumber collected during nereus ' s first dive to the mariana trench . ( barbara fletcher , spawar systems center paciific )
the challenger deep in the marianas trench is located near the island of guam in the west pacific . it is the deepest abyss on earth at 11 , 000 meters . at that depth , pressures reach 1 , 100 times the pressure at the surface .
nereus was tested in the waters off the whoi dock in april before being sent to the challenger deep in the pacific ' s mariana trench . at 11 , 000 meters — more than a mile deeper than mount everest is high — challenger deep is arguably one of the most remote locations on earth . ( photo by : tom kleindinst , woods hole oceanographic institution )
the trieste was acquired by the us navy ( from italy ) in 1958 and decommissioned in 1966 . ( photo courtesy of the u . s . navy )
footage taken during nereus ' s test cruise off hawaii in 2007 . quicktime video - 5 : 40
the woods hole oceanographic institution is dedicated to advancing knowledge of the ocean and its connection with the earth system through a sustained commitment to excellence in science , engineering , and education , and to the application of this knowledge to problems facing society . learn more »
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approximately 30 miles in length with a variable width , ranging from 12 miles to 4 miles at its narrowest point . the largest island in micronesia , guam has a total land mass of 212 square miles , excluding reef formations . shaped like a footprint , guam was formed by the union of two volcanoes . the island has two basic geological compositions . two - thirds of guam , the central and northern features , are primarily raised limestones with several volcanic formations at mount santa rosa and mount mataguak . the northern clifflines drop precipitately into the sea with an elevation ranging from 300 to 600 feet . the southern features are basically volcanic with an elongated mountain ridge dividing the inland valleys and coastline . the highest point is mount lamlam with an elevation of 1 , 334 feet .
rises 37 , 820 feet above the floor of the marianas trench , the greatest ocean depth in the world . when visiting guam , hiking up one of its mountains is like scaling a peak higher than everest . a metal object would take 64 minutes to fall through the marianas trench , just east of guam , with a depth of 6 . 79 miles , where pressure is over 18 , 000 pounds per square inch . the marianas trench was pinpointed in 1951 by the british survey ship
and on january 23 , 1960 , the manned u . s . n . bathyscaphe
descended to the bottom . on march 24 , 1995 , the unmanned japanese probe
guam pdn news reported on jun 15 , 2009 that the h - rov remote operated vehicle nereus descended to a depth of 6 . 8 miles down into the marianas trench [ on may 31 2009 ] to survey the challenger deep . at the very bottom of the pacific , the nereus found polychaete worms , which are multi - legged predators about one inch long . the nereus also sent back images of amphipods , crustaceans that are related to shrimp , but which have bodies that are flattened from side to side . temperatures at the bottom were near the freezing point , at 1 . 8 degrees celsius , or 35 . 24 degrees . the pressure at the bottom was 16 , 000 pounds per square inch , compared to 14 . 7 pounds per square inch at the sea level . the seafloor was mostly flat , with sediment in the form of a fine mud . the pressure in the deep sea crushed standard styrofoam cups sent with the nereus , which came back to the surface an inch and a half in height .
click volcano map to the left to enlarge ( http : / / oceanexplorer . noaa . gov ) .
the scripps institution of oceanography was involved in filmmaker and explorer james cameron ' s recent successful dive nearly 7 miles on 2012march26 aboard the vertical submarine deep sea challenger . the univ of guam marine lab provided logistical support . scripps deputy directory of academics douglas bartlett referenced two of the deepest parts of the mariana trench - the challenger deep and the serena deep ( stair , florence . guampdn . wed apr 11 2012 ) ; pg . 3 ) . guam straddles the edge of the philippine plate with the pacific plate thrusting below it - - an area called the subduction zone . the mariana islands are volcanic products of the magma released at this subduction zone . the melting of rock produces magma containing alot of water at the subduction zone . when this magma reaches the surface , the water expands very rapidly , which is why island - arc volcanoes are so explosive . according to national geographic , it is the water and sulfur that give these volcanoes their bang .
among the most volcanically active - - and the only submarine volcanic arc in waters under united states jurisdiction - - is the mariana islands . the mariana archipelago region features some 50 submarine volcanic edifices in addition to 11 major subaerial volcanoes dotted along more than 1000 km of arc length . active hydrothermal sites have been sampled on a few volcanoes in the mariana arc : esmeralda bank lying west of the island of tinian and two seamounts in the northern part of the arc called kasuga 2 , kasuga 3 , and one volcano , called east diamante . the latter volcano , lying 20 nautical miles south of the island volcano anatahan has arc vent fields which may be the best modern analogues of gold - rich ore deposits currently mined on land . the amazing organisms living around deep geothermal vents are well adapted to extreme pressures .
two seafloor mining companies , canada - based nautilus minerals and australian - based neptune minerals have applied for mining exploration licensess / titles in the commonwealth of northern marianas [ isles north of guam ] . according to their respective websites , they plan to mine the world ' s seafloor copper - gold sites also called seafloor massive sulphide ( sms ) deposits . sms are high - grade hydrothermal deposits rich in copper , zinc and lead with a high gold and silver content , found on the ocean floor . in january 2006 , neptune minerals applied for exploration licences covering approximately 147 , 000 km2 along the marianas arc and the associated back - arc basin offshore from the northern mariana islands . the marianas arc is the southern extension of the japanese izu - bonin arc .
guam ' s western shoreline faces the philippine sea while just a few miles away the eastern beaches faces the pacific ocean . ancient perpendicular faultlines which collect water , now determine paths of existing tributaries . guam is the
isle of orthogonal rivers
, and westernmost u . s . territory . it is west of the international dateline and is 1 day ahead of the u . s . : hence the slogan
where america ' s day begins
.
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some scientific discoveries are exciting because they have the potential to save lives and revolutionise the way we live . others are exciting because they fundamentally change the way we view ourselves and the world around us . and others are exciting because they involve a worm with tentacles on its head .
the squidworm looks like a fusion animal , half - squid and half - worm . in fact , it’s all worm , a member of the group that includes familiar earthworms and leeches . it just happens to have ten long tentacles on its head .
scyllathe tentacles are elastic and extendable , and they can be longer than the squidworm’s ten - centimetre body . two of them – the yellower ones – are used for feeding . the other eight are used to breathe , or possibly to feel its way around . its head also carries two feathery , brush - like structures called ‘nuchal organs’ that act like a nose , picking up chemical smells in the water .
osborn announced the squidworm’s existence last year ( although it hadn’t been formally described then ) . the animal made its debut alongside six other species of deep - sea worms that it’s closely related to . four of these are ‘bomber’worms – they release glowing fluid - filled capsules from their heads , probably as decoys to draw the attention of predators .
the squidworm has no such defence and it doesn’t seem to be a very strong swimmer either . like the bomber worms , its flanks are lined by rows of bristled oars that beat in hypnotic waves . but unlike the bombers , the squidworm has a more leisurely pace . it’s certainly no predator ; instead , osborn thinks that it filters food from the bits of matter that sink down from the upper ocean .
over seven dives , osborn found 17 of these distinctive creatures and she expects to find many more . she thinks it’s probably fairly common and other related species will soon be discovered . the fact that such a striking animal has only just been discovered says a lot about our ignorance of the deep sea .
the squidworm lives in one of the richest but most mysterious layers – the demersal zone , just above the ocean floor . it’s the largest habitat on earth , and a haven for undiscovered life . here , animals can easily evade collection devices towed along the seafloor , while staying under the reach of mid - water nets dragged overhead . to appreciate the richness of life in these waters , you need special submersibles like the ones that osborn used , which can move about easily and collect local animals without damaging their frail bodies . who knows what else the subs will discover ?
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this illustrates how much we have to learn about even the large , common inhabitants of deep pelagic communities ,
said woods hole oceanographic institute in massachusetts and the scripps institute of oceanography in california researchers in this guardian story . the worm , which is pale white when young but eventually turns dark butterscotch brown as an adult ( and is covered with what is described as a ' gelatinous sheath ' ) , slowly cruises up and down along the sea floor , eating plankton . the squid worm was discovered around 3 , 000 meters below sea level , and was first seen by the max rover global explorer robotic submersible max rover global explorer in 2007 . it was revealed to the world with descriptions in last month ' s biology letters .
some scientific discoveries are exciting because they have the potential to save lives and revolutionise the way we live . others are exciting because they fundamentally change the way we view ourselves and the world around us . and others are exciting because they involve a worm with tentacles on its head .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 / / en
urltoken
it ' s not a squid . it ' s not a worm . it ' s a squid worm .
scientists with the woods hole oceanographic institute and the university of california , santa cruz , have discovered a species in the celebes sea that could be the missing link between species that reside solely in the seafloor ' s mud and those that live only in the water column .
the scientists used a remotely operated submersible to find squid worms between 9 , 200 feet and 9 , 500 feet deep ( 2 , 800 to 2 , 900 meters ) in the basin between indonesia and the philippines , just 330 feet ( 100 meters ) from the floor of the celebes sea . the newfound species appeared to be unusually abundant for creatures residing in such deep water .
about the size of the palm of a hand , the squid worm has a tapered body with a color that transitions from black to brown . the large muscles just underneath its skin , used for swimming , glow a shimmery , iridescent pink . along the side of its body are glittery bristles that help it swim , and 10 long appendages hang off its front end — probably used for collecting food , uc santa cruz marine biologist karen osborn said .
the species is an especially exciting discovery because it could represent a missing link , or transitional species , said osborn , who is lead author of the paper appearing in this week ' s issue of the journal biology letters .
this is an intermediate species between the benthic ancestors — things living in the mud on the seafloor — and other species that live in the water column but never go to the floor ,
osborn told ouramazingplanet .
studying the newfound species could help piece together the evolutionary history of the creatures and determine which characteristics they adapted .
the celebes sea basin is surrounded by trenches that , osborn said , prevent species from outside the basin from mixing with species inside the basin below about 1 , 500 meters .
it ' s really deep and isolated from the rest of the water ,
osborn said .
so evolutionarily , the things down there could be really different .
the really deep sea has hardly been explored , and with the squid worm comes the hint of many more undiscovered species .
finding large abundant animals like this in the deep water column shows us how much we don ' t know about what ' s down there ,
osborn said .
just imagine all the other things that could be down there .
the census of marine life has issued its final report on the 10 - year effort to document the diversity of the world ' s oceans . more than 2 , 700 scientists cataloged 28 million observations of new species as well as old favorites such as the octopus . this octopus specimen was collected at lizard island on australia ' s great barrier reef in an autonomous reef monitoring system , or arms , at a depth of 30 to 36 feet ( 10 to 12 meters ) . the arms system is one of the legacies of the census .
the ultimate role of a jellyfish is to reproduce . the brown granular core in this jelly , bouganvillia supercilliaris , is stuffed to the breaking point with hundreds of eggs .
this christmas tree worm ( spirobranchus giganteus ) was found at lizard island on australia ' s great barrier reef .
a young weddell seal ( leptonychotes weddellii ) gets his final diving lessons . he is already the size of his mother , who is waiting under the water . soon , he ' ll be on his own . the census of marine life cataloged marine mammals as well as other types of creatures ranging from fish to microbes .
sea nettles ( chrysaora fuscescens ) float in the water of california ' s monterey bay . the nettle ' s sting is deadly to small prey but not potent enough to kill humans - except in the case of an allergic reaction .
the vampire squid , also known by the scientific name vampyroteuthis , is a cephalopod that lives in the oxygen minimum zone of california ' s monterey bay at depths of 2 , 000 to 3 , 000 feet ( 600 - 900 meters ) .
researchers with the census of marine life conducted an inventory of octocorals , named for the eight tentacles that fringe each polyp . this is a soft coral , dendronephthya , from the coral gardens off lizard island on australia ' s great barrier reef .
this physonect siphonophore ( marrus orthocanna ) was photographed during noaa’s
hidden ocean expedition .
the colonial animal is made up of many repeated units , which include tentacles , and multiple stomachs . many specimens were observed at depths between 1 , 000 and 5 , 000 feet ( 300 to 1 , 500 meters ) .
south of easter island , the census of marine life ' s vent explorers discovered a crab so unusual it warranted a whole new family designation , kiwidae . beyond adding a new family to the wealth of known biodiversity , its discovery added a new genus , kiwa , named for the mythological polynesian goddess of shellfish . its furry or hairy appearance justified its species name , hirsuta .
this type of anemone lives in a mucous tube on the muddy bottoms of coastal waters , estuaries and soft seabeds . they ' re found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world , where they can grow up to 6 inches ( 15 centimeters ) across and a foot ( 30 centimeters ) tall . when the anemone is threatened , the animal retracts into its tube for protection . the beautiful stinging tentacles of the tube anemone vary from a vibrant purple to a creamy brown .
bottom - dwelling animals often release their larvae into the water for feeding and dispersal as
meroplankton .
these two larvae from russia ' s chukchi sea measure less than a tenth of an inch ( 1 millimeter ) but will eventually grow into sea urchins or sand dollars .
this snail ( alviniconcha sp . ) inhabits deep - sea hydrothermal vents along the suiyo seamount , off the coast of japan . it ' s probably a new species , and only a single specimen has been discovered to date . where are its peers ?
the flamingo tongue snail , cyphoma gibbosum , was photographed near grand cayman in the british west indies , and is listed in the gulf of mexico biodiversity inventory .
in october 2007 , u . s . and filipino scientists traveled to the celebes sea in southeast asia , searching for new species living in its deep water . when they discovered this extraordinary worm — which they named
squidworm
— they knew they had something special .
the acantharians are one of the four types of large amoebae that occur in marine open waters . their fragile skeletons are made of a single crystal of strontium sulfate that quickly dissolves in the ocean water after the cell dies .
nereocystis , a marine alga commonly referred to as bull kelp , is often found in the nearshore and shallow gulf areas of north america ' s pacific coast .
hyperoche capucinus is a common sand flea that swims in polar waters . this specimen is about the width of a finger .
this striking creature , a venus flytrap anemone ( actinoscyphia sp . ) , was photographed in the gulf of mexico . the anemone is so named because it resembles the land - based venus flytrap , a carnivorous plant .
gary cranitch ' s photographs for creefs were recognized for excellence by the australian institute of professional photographers . this spectacular jellyfish inhabits the water of australia ' s great barrier reef off lizard island .
the leafy seadragon , phycodurus eques , is camouflaged to resemble a piece of drifting seaweed .
this pink see - through fantasia , enypniastes , is a swimming sea cucumber seen about a mile and a half ( 2 , 500 meters ) deep in southeast asia ' s celebes sea .
a golden lace nudibranch , halgerda terramtuentis , was collected in the waters of the northwestern hawaiian islands .
this specimen of the jellyfish species known as crossota norvegica was collected from the deep arctic canada basin with a remotely operated vehicle .
editor ' s note : this image contains graphic content that some viewers may find disturbing .
researchers have identified a strange new type of
squidworm
in the ocean depths .
discovered in 2007 , the squidworm makes its way around by relying on frilly organs on its head for smell and what seem to be structures at the tips of its appendages specialized for touch .
new york ( isns ) - - the bizarre , newly - revealed squidworm - - a free - swimming worm with up to 10 squid - like limbs - - is one of a host of strange discoveries that await scientists in the vast , largely unexplored spaces of the deep ocean .
the slimy animal ' s flattened body is about 3 . 5 inches long . it possesses 25 or more pairs of translucent white paddles arranged on its sides for swimming and up to 10 fragile , tentacle - like appendages at its head that are the same length as its body or longer .
the creature is eyeless , explained researcher karen osborn , a marine biologist at the scripps institution of oceanography in la jolla , calif . to make its way around , it relies on frilly organs on its head for smell and what seem to be structures at the tips of its appendages specialized for touch or smell .
it was discovered in 2007 using a remotely operated underwater robot exploring the deep waters of the celebes sea . this hotspot of diversity is located between the philippines and indonesia .
the deep waters of the ocean may be the largest habitat for life on earth , but they are also the least explored . plumbing their depths is challenge because of their remote , vast nature and crushing pressures .
we still have more knowledge more about the moon than about our oceans ,
said marine biologist fredrik pleijel at the university of gothenburg in sweden , who did not participate in this research .
scientists know especially little about free - swimming creatures of the deep because they have proven hard to capture without damaging either the animals or the gear used to gather them . to collect the squidworms , the researchers used both a device that gently sucks the animals into a bucket and an adroitly - maneuvered robot that scoops them up into large open canisters . they caught seven specimens roughly 6 , 650 - 9 , 550 feet below the ocean ' s surface and , after photographing them live , brought them up to the surface preserved in a formaldehyde solution .
based on gut contents and videos of the squidworm , the researchers suspect that the squidworm feeds on
marine snow
- - detritus that rains down from the upper layers of the ocean , such as sinking plankton ,
fecal material , dead animals , cast off mucus ,
osborn said .
not the most appealing sounding food .
these new findings just go to show
there is an enormous variety of remarkable animals with unique adaptations to that deep habitat that we never could have imagined until we found them ,
said deep - sea ecologist bruce robison at the monterey bay aquarium research institute in calif . , who did not take part in this study .
nature seems to be infinitely variable , and try as we might , we can never anticipate all of the twists and turns she ' ll take .
the squidworm differs dramatically from all known worms . it is a polychaete , a type of bristly annelid that is generally found in marine environments , and seems to be a missing link between benthic polychaetes living on the seafloor and pelagic ones dwelling much further up . future research can focus on which benthic polychaetes the squidworm evolved from , and
whether the transition benthic - to - pelagic has occurred once only in these groups or a number of different times ,
pleijel said .
although just one species of squidworm is known to date , the scientists expect more to crop up soon . they suspect a related species was spotted by a submersible off the coast of western india in 2004 at a depth of roughly 3 , 300 feet ( 1 , 000 meters ) .
osborn and her colleagues detailed their findings online nov . 23 in the journal biology letters .
authorized news sources may reproduce our content . find out more about how that works . © american institute of physics
charles q . choi is a science reporter who has written for scientific american , the new york times , wired , science , nature , and national geographic news , among others .


nitocrella is a genus of copepod .

although most other genera in the family ameiridae are marine , species of nitocrella are almost exclusively found in subterranean fresh water or brackish water .

more than 80 species are included in the genus , including two which are listed as vulnerable species on the iucn red list : nitocrella absentia karanovic , 2004 nitocrella achaiae pesce , 1981 nitocrella aestuarina coull & bell , 1979 nitocrella afghanica sterba , 1973 nitocrella africana chappuis , 1955 nitocrella akiereki borutsky , 1978 nitocrella asiatica ( sterba , 1967 ) nitocrella beatricis cottarelli & bruno , 1993 nitocrella botosaneanui petkovski , 1973 nitocrella calcaripes damian & botosaneanu , 1954 nitocrella caraioni petkovski , 1976 nitocrella chappuisi kiefer , 1926 nitocrella cubanorum petkovski , 1976 nitocrella delayi rouch , 1970 nitocrella divaricata ( chappuis , 1923 ) nitocrella dubia chappuis , 1937 nitocrella dussarti chappuis & rouch , 1959 nitocrella elegans chappuis & rouch , 1959 nitocrella ensifera cottarelli , bruno & berera , 2007 nitocrella fedelitae pesce , 1985 nitocrella gracilis chappuis , 1955 nitocrella halophila noodt , 1952 nitocrella herirudensis sterba , 1973 nitocrella hibernica ( brady , 1880 ) nitocrella hirta chappuis , 1923 nitocrella hofmilleri brehm , 1953 nitocrella hypogaea shen & tai , 1973 nitocrella incerta ( chappuis , 1933 ) nitocrella insularis miura , 1962 nitocrella intermedia chappuis , 1937 nitocrella ioneli dumont & decraemer , 1974 nitocrella iranica löffler , 1959 nitocrella jankowskajae borutsky , 1972 nitocrella japonica miura , 1962 nitocrella juturna cottarelli , 1975 nitocrella kirgizica borutsky , 1972 nitocrella kosswigi noodt , 1954 nitocrella kunzi galassi & de laurentiis , 1997 nitocrella kyzylkumica borutsky , 1972 nitocrella ljovuschkini borutsky , 1967 nitocrella longa karanovic , 2000 nitocrella maggii pesce , 1983 nitocrella mara löffler , 1959 nitocrella marina chappuis & rouch , 1961 nitocrella minoricae chappuis & rouch , 1959 nitocrella monchenkoi borutsky , 1972 nitocrella montana noodt , 1965 nitocrella morettii pesce , 1984 nitocrella morimotoi miura , 1962 nitocrella motasi petkovski , 1976 nitocrella nana sterba , 1973 nitocrella negreai petkovski , 1973 nitocrella neutra kiefer , 1933 nitocrella obesa karanovic , 2004 nitocrella omega hertzog , 1936 nitocrella orghidani petkovski , 1973 nitocrella paceae pesce , 1980 nitocrella pescei galassi & de laurentiis , 1997 nitocrella petkovskii pesce , 1980 nitocrella polychaeta noodt , 1952 nitocrella psammophila chappuis , 1954 nitocrella reducta schäfer , 1936 nitocrella rhodiensis pesce , 1983 nitocrella skyrensis pesce , 1982 nitocrella slovenica petkovski , 1959 ( slovenia ) nitocrella somalica dumont , 1981 nitocrella spinulosa apostolov , 1991 nitocrella stammeri chappuis , 1938 nitocrella sterbai borutsky , 1969 nitocrella stetinai sterba , 1973 nitocrella stochi pesce & galassi , 1987 ( italy ) nitocrella stygia apostolov , 1976 nitocrella subterranea ( chappuis , 1928 ) nitocrella tianschanica borutsky , 1972 nitocrella tirolensis kiefer , 1963 nitocrella tonsa mikhailova-neikova , 1967 nitocrella trajani karanovic , 2004 nitocrella tridens bozic , 1969 nitocrella tschaticalica borutsky , 1978 nitocrella unispinosa shen & tai , 1973 nitocrella vasconica chappuis , 1937 nitocrella yokotai miura , 1962

nitocrella

nitocrella is a genus of crustacean in family ameiridae . it contains the following species : nitocrella slovenica nitocrella stochi the non - anus type
petkovski , t . k . , 1976 . drei neue nitocrella - arten von kuba , zugleich eine revision des genus nitocrella ( s . restr . ) ( crustacea , copepoda , ameiridae ) . acta mus . maced . en harpa - ticiden sei . der gattung nitocrella ( crustacea , copepoda ) aus 15 , 1 : 26 pp .
sterba , o . , 1973 . die neuen harpacticiden der gattung nitocrella ( crustacea , copepoda ) aus afghanistan . zool anz . 190 : 333–342 .
dumont , h . j . & decraemer , w . , 1974 . nitocrella ioneli n . sp . ( crustacea copepoda ) , a new phreatic harpacticoid copepod from the presahara in morocco . biol . jaarb . 42 : 105–111 .
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walter , t . c . & boxshall , g . ( 2018 ) . world of copepods database .
lang , k . ( 1948 ) . monographie der harpacticiden . vols . 1 , 2 . hakan ohlsson ' s boktryckeri , lund ; reprinted nordiska bokhandeln , stockholm . 1 : 1 - 896 , figs . 1 - 361 ; 2 : 897 - 1683 , figs . 362 - 610 , maps 1 - 378 . ( reprinted 1976 ) . [ details ]
walter , chad . the world of copepods . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
description of parapseudoleptomesochra attirei from a well in a dry wadi bed at at tire , nubia . its closest relative is found in a semidesert area in iran . the chorological implications of this finding are briefly discussed .
chappuis , p . a . , 1955 . harpacticoides psammiques du lac tanganika . rev . zool . bot . afr . 51 : 68–80 .
dumont , h . j . 1979 . limnologie van sahara en sahel . unpublished d . sc . thesis , ghent , 557 pp .
dumont , h . j . , 1981a . on a collection of zooplankton from somalia , with a description of three new species of cope - poda . monit . zool . ital . n s , suppl . 14 : 103–111 .
dumont , h . j . , 1981b . cteniobathynella essameuri n . sp . , the first representative of the bathynellacea ( crustacea ) in the central sahara . rev . hydrobiol . trop . 14 : 59–62 .
lang , k . , 1965 . copepoda harpacticoidea from the californian pacific coast . kungl . svensk . vetensk . akad . handl . 10 , 2 :
loffler , h . , 1959 . beiträge zur kenntnis der iranischen binnengewässer . i . der niriz - see und sein einzugsgebiet . int . revue ges . hydrobiol . 44 : 227–276 .
pesce , g . l . , 1981 . some harpacticoids from subterranean waters of greece ( crustacea : copepoda ) . boll . zool . 48 : 263–276 .
from nubia ( copepoda , harpacticoida ) . in : dumont h . j . , el moghraby a . i . , desougi l . a . ( eds ) limnology and marine biology in the sudan . developments in hydrobiology , vol 21 . springer , dordrecht
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disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .