Ever heard that saying that we know more about space than the ocean?
Well, it probably isn't quite true, but there is certainly a lot we don't know.
Last year, we made a bunch of new discoveries - truly amazing life hidden deep - and not so deep - beneath the waves. Here are just a few of them.
🐟 The Lady Elliot shrimp goby.
This 5-centimetre fish was spotted hanging out on a shallow reef at Lady Elliot Island, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef. The last time a new-to-science species was discovered in the Great Barrier Reef was in 2019.
Discover more
New story: New fish species named Lady Elliot shrimp goby discovered on Great Barrier Reef - ABC News
Research paper: https://zenodo.org/records/8404548
A female Lady Elliot Shrimp Goby. Credit Mark V. Erdmann (CC BY 4.0 LEGAL CODE)
🐟 The Pacific-flame scorpionfish
This brightly coloured scorpionfish was spotted between Japan and the Philippines. It sports both spines and tentacles!
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News story: New species of ‘fiery’ colored fish found near Japan: study | Miami Herald
Research paper (paywalled): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-023-00931-3
The Pacific-flame scorpionfish. Credit: Tatsuya Matsumoto.
🐟 The Vanuatu scorpionfish
Yes, a relative of our flame-coloured friend just above! The Vanuatu scorpionfish became a new-to-science species thanks to work done by researchers on four specimens collected from Malekula Island back in 1994 and kept in storage until recently.
Discover more
News story: Creature with ‘large’ mouth and pointy teeth found in ocean depths. It’s a new species (yahoo.com)
Research paper (paywalled): https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-023-00926-0
The Vanuatu scorpionfish sample that had been in storage. Credit: Tatsuya Matsumoto
🐌 The margarita snail
Found on a coral reef in the Florida Keys, the margarita snail gets its name from its brilliant bright yellow. Unlike the snails you find in your garden, these snails tend to live in the same spot for pretty much all their lives.
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News story: Newly-discovered “margarita snails” from the Florida Keys are bright lemon-yellow - Field Museum
Research paper: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15854
The margarita snail. Credit Rüdiger Bieler
🪸 Pocillopora tuahiniensis
This new stony coral species was found in French Polynesia. Identifying corals is pretty tricky because they can look very similar. Advancements in genomics are helping us separate them out.
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Research paper: https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5369.1.5/52231
Erika Johnston studies “Pocillopora tuahiniensis.” Credit Scott Burgess
🧽 Megaciella sanctuarium
Back over in the USA, a new species of sponge has been discovered off the coast of California. The species is named after the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, where the sponge was spotted back in 2021. Actually, the research voyage that found this new species also led to the discovery of 11 other new-to-science sponges!
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News Story: Newly discovered sponge named after Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary - CBS San Francisco (cbsnews.com)
Research paper (paywalled): https://mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5318.2.1
The sponge. Credit Thomas Turner.