A research on this new species has been published in ‘Deep Sea Research Part I’ magazine. Two senior scientists named Bruce Robison and Steven Haddock first spotted this creature 24 years ago in February 2000. The creature was spotted during a deep-water landing expedition off the coast of Monterey Bay. The robot that went into the water captured the creature.
MBARI researchers have discovered a remarkable new species of sea slug in the deep sea. Nicknamed the “mystery mollusc,” the nudibranch Bathydevius caudactylus swims through the midnight zone and lights up with brilliant bioluminescence.
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Since then, both scientists have seen such creatures, which they call ‘mysterious mollusks’, more than 150 times. The presence of these creatures is very deep in the water, which is called the midnight zone.
What is midnight zone?
In the context of the oceans, the midnight zone is an area of water that is 1,000 to 4,000 meters deep from the sea surface. Meaning, the midnight zone starts after going down one kilometer into the sea. This is about 70 percent of sea water.
Researchers say they have spent more than 20 years understanding the natural history of this species. This discovery can help in understanding the life that flourishes in the oceans on Earth. Scientists believe that this is the first sea slug to live in the deep sea. Although it looks a little big in the picture or video, its size is about the same as an apple.