Earth continues to conceal significant secrets within its depths. With areas that can exceed depths of 10 kilometers, which greatly complicates human access, the oceans are like small “alien worlds,” brimming with mysteries and entirely unfamiliar creatures.
A few days ago, Business Insider reported the discovery of a new creature found in the depths of the sea. Located between 66 and 1170 meters beneath the ocean’s surface near Antarctica, this “sea monster” possesses 20 tentacle-like limbs covered in a feather-like material resembling bird feathers.
The newly discovered creature, which also features a set of small claws that help it grip the seabed, has been named the “strawberry squid star.” This distinctive name was coined by Greg Rouse, a marine biology professor and co-author of the study detailing the discovery of this new species, published in Invertebrate Systematics.
And, although it might seem like a rather random name, it does make sense. If you remove the small tentacular threads that the creature has, which emerge from its base (cirri), you can see that its shape is very similar to that of a strawberry. “We removed a lot of cirri so that you can see the parts to which they are attached, and that’s what looks like a strawberry,” Rouse explained.
The marine biologist also observed that the longer, feathery parts of the strawberry squid star (certainly not the shortest name for an animal) tend to extend and assist in the movement of this inhabitant of the deep sea.
Of course, the species also has an official name: Promachocrinus fragarius. “Fragarius” is derived from the Latin word “fragum,” which means strawberry. The creature belongs to the family of crinoids, which includes starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.
What kind of marine creatures are yet to be discovered in the depths of the sea?
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
