Alien-like Creature Discovered In Deep Pacific Ocean

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posted on 3 weeks ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Marine researchers, who were working on a study in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean, discovered a water animal that was never seen before.

The world of the deep sea comprises thousands of creatures that are yet to be discovered and are unknown to humankind. However, the mysterious world of the deep ocean can sometimes surprise us with bizarre-looking creatures. Many scientists around the globe work hard to discover the undiscovered species. One such discovery recently surprised scientists. In a recent development, a new collection of alien-like species was spotted by scientists which left them astonished.

Marine researchers who were working on a study in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean, between Mexico and Hawaii have reportedly discovered a water animal that was never seen before.

These creatures mainly live in the perpetual darkness of the abyssopelagic zone and are not found in the upper part of the ocean. According to a report by Science Alert, Marine ecologist Thomas Dahlgren of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden said, “The abyssopelagic zone is one of the least explored areas of the Earth. It is estimated that only one out of ten species living there is discovered by science.”

The creatures were discovered by scientists with the help of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). It was sent to a depth of 3,500 to 5,500 meters (11,480 and 18,045 feet) in the Pacific Ocean. According to reports, this project is part of the UK National Oceanography Centre’s Seabed Mining And Resilience To Experimental Impact (SMARTEX) mission.

As per reports, the creature that was discovered by the scientists is a transparent sea cucumber. It is nicknamed ‘unicumber’ and belongs to the Elpidiidae family.

“These sea cucumbers were some of the largest animals found on this expedition. They act as ocean floor vacuum cleaners, and specialise in finding sediment that has passed through the least number of stomachs,” Dahlgren stated. The researchers reportedly researched to examine the devastating impact of deep-sea mining on marine habitats.

“The lack of food causes marine species to live far apart, but the species richness in this area is surprisingly high. We see many exciting specialised adaptations among the animals in these areas,” Dahlgren added.