Meet ‘alien life right here on Earth’: Scientists discover 12 new species of sea sponge that resemble aliens, unicorns and a POLAR BEAR
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Meet ‘alien life right here on Earth’: Scientists discover 12 new species of sea sponge that resemble aliens, unicorns and a POLAR BEAR
- Experts have discovered 12 new species of sea sponge off Monterey, California
- They are named after a polar bear, a unicorn and a scientist’s partner
They are perhaps most famous for inspiring the animated character SpongeBob SquarePants, who lives in a pineapple under the sea.
But scientists have now discovered 12 new species of strange and wonderful sea sponges, some of which have such an alien appearance that they’ve been described as “alien life right here on Earth.”
Others are named for their similarities to a polar bear and a unicorn.
Their discovery has been revealed in a new study by UC Santa Barbara professor Dr. Thomas Turner and research ecologist Steve Lonhart, who spotted the sea sponges while diving off Monterey Bay, California.
In all, the pair documented 29 sponge species β 12 of which were previously unknown to science.
Megaciella sanctuary earns its title in honor of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
“I was definitely excited,” Dr. Turner told the news website SFGATE.
“I could tell right away just by looking at them β these were sponges I hadn’t seen anywhere else.”
Referring to them as “alien life here on Earth,” he added: “I think I just like the weird, forgotten animals, and finding out what’s out there and how they occur forms the basis for answering questions about it in the future.” help them answer.β
Dr. Turner was able to identify the new species using a combination of underwater photography, DNA sequencing and analysis of the sponges under a microscope.
He then got to name the creatures, starting with a bright orange one Megaciella sanctuary, which earns its title in honor of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Dr. Turner also named one of the sponges Haliclona (Halichoclona) melissae, after its partner, Melissa Kamen, while a bright white and fuzzy sponge – Xestospongia ursa – got its calling card for its resemblance to a polar bear.
Finally, Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) was called promina because it had a number of tower-like projections over its body, which, according to Lonhard, made it look “like a unicorn.”
Real sea sponges are a little less lively than SpongeBob suggests, rooting in one place on rocks or the seabed for most of their lives.
Clathria unoriginalis (A): Experts have discovered 12 new species of sea sponge off Monterey, California
Sponges labeled from left to right: Acarnus erithacus (A), Scopalina jali (B), Acanthancora cyanocrypta (visible as a blue crust) (C), Cliona californiana (visible as small yellow papillae) (D), Neopetrosia problematica (E) , Endectyon hyle (F), Amphimedon trindenea (G), Tethya californiana (H), Leucilla nuttingi (I), Leucosolenia sp. (J)
Phorbas nebulosus: They are named after a polar bear, a unicorn and a scientist’s partner
Hemimiycale polyboletus: Sponges are also a popular food choice for many species of turtles and tropical fish
Here they cleverly feed on bacteria by pumping water through their pores and filtering out the nutritious bits.
Sponges are also a popular food choice for many species of turtles and tropical fish.
Nearly half of the species found by scientists have only ever been seen in Carmel Bay, leading the pair to believe they are quite rare.
“For a nerdy scientist like me, it’s really cool to see,” Lonhart told the publication.