ANIMALS
An underwater mountain hosts creatures unknown to science
WORDS SASCHA PARE
A Bathyphysa siphonophore, or flying spaghetti monster, spotted near an unexplored and unregistered seamount off the coast of Chile
© ROV SuBastian; Schmidt Ocean Institute
Did you know?
The first Turing Award was received in 1966
An underwater mountain chain off Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, hosts an astonishing array of deep-sea species, at least 50 of which are new to science. About 800 to 1,200 metres below the southeastern Pacific waves, researchers on a Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition found the deepest photosynthesisdependent animal ever found, a Leptoseris, or wrinkle coral, which was already known to science. Other jaw-dropping sights included a jellyfish-like critter known as a flying spaghetti monster and a luminescent deep-sea dragonfish from the family Stomiidae. Both these creatures, along with more than 100 other species, have previously been described by scientists but had never been spotted in this region before. Another 50 specimens, which have yet to be analysed, are thought to be newfound species.