- Pink sea cucumbers and crayfish: New species discovered in the sea
Scientists and researchers have coordinated under German leadership to describe new species that inhabit the world's oceans. These invertebrates are scattered worldwide at depths ranging from around 5 to 7,800 meters, as reported in the scientific publication "Biodiversity Data Journal". The eleven new discoveries include small crustaceans that have puzzled scientists until now. Additionally, pink sea cucumbers living in the depths of the Atlantic have been reclassified.
The sea cucumber Psychropotes buglossa, with its distinctive color, was described in 1886 but was later grouped with eleven other species in 1975. Recent DNA analyses have now shown that it is indeed a separate species.
Among the eleven species is a crustacean that was previously only known through mysterious holes in the seabed. After prolonged observation, scientists discovered the creature and were able to identify it. It is now named Cunicolomaera grata ("favorite burrow"). A total of 25 authors from various institutions contributed to the publication.
Diverse Threats
The world's oceans are facing diverse threats from climate change, pollution, plastic waste, and overfishing, explains Torben Riehl from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt. Most of the estimated two million marine species are still unknown. Many marine creatures die out before they can be discovered and named. Invertebrates are disproportionately affected.
A new initiative aims to address this: "Ocean Species Discoveries" (German: "Entdeckungen von Meeresarten"). This is a platform where many species descriptions can be published in a short time. The eleven newly described species are part of the first in a series of publications by the initiative.
Only named species can be included in the Red List to influence political decisions, explains marine researcher Julia Sigwart. "Ocean Species Discoveries" is coordinated by the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA; Senckenberg Alliance for Marine Species), a project of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt.
The mysterious crustacean previously known only through holes in the seabed, now named Cunicolomaera grata, is among the other fish and invertebrates facing threats from climate change and overfishing. The pink sea cucumber Psychropotes buglossa, initially described as a separate species in 1886, was later found to be related to other species, but recent DNA analyses have confirmed its distinct identity, joining the ranks of other fish and invertebrates described in the "Biodiversity Data Journal".
