Max Read | Gawker
A group of marine scientists just got back from a science-type voyage with a bunch of totally bizarre, creepily beautiful new species. Wanna see ’em?
You want to know what is cool? The ocean, that’s what’s cool. A six-week trip in the Atlantic turned up tons of new species, some of which may be “close to the missing link in evolution between backboned and invertebrate animals,” and all of which look like the kind of thing you encounter on serious psychotropics. Here are ten of them, beautifully photographed by David Shale. We named them all, to encourage you to be friendly!
(To view the gallery on a single page, click here.)
[University of Aberdeen via Discover; pics courtesy of David Shale]
This is Geoffrey, the acorn worm of the southern purple variety. He is a scavenger from the North Atlantic.
Like Geoffrey, Raoul here is an acorn worm, but of the northern pink variety. Raoul and Geoffrey, who lack brains or sense organs but have “the primitive body plan of back-boned animals,” are thought to be close to the evolutionary link between vertebrae and invertebrae
Here is a comb jelly that anchors itself to the ocean floor with its tentacles. Its name is June.
A jellyfish named Keyshawn.
This basket star, which uses its tentacles to ensnare food, is named Frances.
Theo, a sea cucumber.
Another sea cucumber, coincidentally also named Theo.
Amit, our third sea cucumber.
This is Constance, a scale worm.
Hans, another acorn worm, is of the southern white variety.
The original version of the story appears here.
Gawker dishes the nation’s most current and cutting gossip across media, entertainment, technology, and business. Founded in 2002 and namechecked frequently in mainstream publications, the site is essential reading for those who want big media hypocrisy debunked and faux-sincerity exposed, all with a healthy dose of snark.
