Researchers have now identified a ‘mystery mollusk’ that lives in the deep sea as a new species of nudibranch – the first species ever to live at such depths. The animal is almost invisible, but sometimes shines just as brightly.
Because the mollusk lives at depths between 1000 and 4000 meters, in a zone called bathypelagial (Greek bathýs = deep), it was given the name Bathydevius caudactylus. What is striking about the nudibranch, which can grow up to 15 centimeters, is its large gelatinous hood and its flat, paddle-like tail, which has nine to sixteen finger-like projections.
First spotted during a dive in 2000
Scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) first discovered the strange animal in February 2000 during a deep-sea diving expedition with the remotely operated underwater vehicle “Tiburon” off the coast of Monterey Bay, a bay on the Pacific coast of Florida. Since then, they have made more than 150 sightings of the ‘mystery mollusk’.
Anatomy and genetics studied in the laboratory
The MBARI researchers were also able to capture a specimen and examine it further in the laboratory. Anatomy and genetics revealed that the animal was a slug, albeit a very unusual species that has adapted to capture prey and thrives in the dark zone where there is no light.
At first glance, Bathydevius caudactylus looks “more like a megaphone with a feathered tail” than a sea slug, the scientists said. And the mollusk has a foot like a snail, which initially made researchers wonder exactly what type of mollusk it was. On its back, the mollusk has gills and two olfactory organs typical of snails, the so-called rhinos.
“We have invested more than two decades in understanding this fascinating slug species,” said MBARI researcher Bruce Robison. “The discovery is a new piece of the puzzle that could help us better understand Earth’s largest habitat, the deep sea.”
Source: Krone
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