Mysterious creatures in Antarctica. Scientists describe a new species

A team of scientists scoured the Southern Ocean during several research expeditions between 2008 and 2017. They were looking for a group of “mysterious” marine animals known as Bromacorinus Many years later, the research was published in the journal Invertebrate Systematics, describing the unique creatures.

These creatures can live in Antarctica at depths from 20m to 2000m. Scientists observed m underwater.

Although both are oceanic invertebrates, “feather stars” are very different from well-known sea stars.

During their research, scientists collected eight organisms with a distinct body shape and thus discovered a new species: Promachocrinus fragarius.

According to research, the Antarctic “Strawberry Star” has 20 arms branching off from its central body. It can range in color from purple to dark red. The shorter lower arms appear limp and almost bumpy, while the longer upper arms are feathery and almost smooth.

A close-up shows the lower body of the Antarctic star. It is roughly triangular in shape, wider at the top and tapering to a rounded bottom. The texture appears uneven with circular indentations likely left by broken arms.

The scientists named the new species from the Latin word for “strawberry” because of the “similarity of the body shape to the fruit.”

Source: Miami Herald