9 weird newly discovered species which might turn out to be aliens

By Evan Hoovler

From: http://blastr.com/

There's a popular movie theme in which scientists on the bottom of the ocean find extraterrestrial beings. We have to imagine that scientists in the Philippines recently felt something similar when they found 300 previously undiscovered life forms.
Here are our nine contenders for species they found that may probably turn out to be freaky aliens:

Alien Worm That Lives in Coral

This freaky little specimen is a new type of the genus Myrianida, which is Latin for "beast that wants to burrow into your brain, like in that one Night Gallery episode." This is what it probably looks like when it's laying eggs in someone's skull:


This exotic-looking creature lurks in coral all day. For many marine species, coral is like a house you can eat. We wonder if "looking as freaky as possible" is a successful defense against predators. If so, the ugly fish must get all the ladies.

Crab With Teeth on Its Claws

This answers the question "What does H.P. Lovecraft step on when he's swimming in the ocean?" Seriously, this thing looks like it just went on a cutting spree and is coated in the blood of its victims. It's the marine version of Rorschach: a deviant, bloody monster with an inkblot on its head. What do you see when you stare at the crab's back? Because we see the sallow face of death ... or is that just us?

Sea Slug That Oozes Poison

Being a sea slug is kind of like being a living oil painting—


Except, instead of security lasers guarding this oil painting, it simply emits poison. The gastropod lives at the depths of the sea, no doubt because in light it would be spotted by predators faster than the Mona Lisa at a flea market. So they make up for it by staying in the dark and tasting really, really bad. Which makes us wonder, if we had predators, how would we make ourselves taste really bad? Probably by not bathing ... or would that make us taste better, like a sweaty saute?

Unidentified Coral Looks Just Like a Tree

This is a new type of soft coral. Scientists suspect it belongs to the genus Umbeliulifera. We, however, suspect it might be a new form of Triffid that is planning a hostile takeover. It grows up to a half-meter, which scientists assure us is quite a great height for underwater alien coral trees. What's it like being coral? Does coral just sit there, content with its life? Or does it harbor dreams of one day making it to the big show at the Great Barrier Reef?

Starfish Eats Bizarre Diet

It must be tough finding a wide selection of food when your main means of locomotion resembles a blob of silly putty climbing down a wall. For most starfish, a meal is comprised of mussels that are even slower and dumber. However, in the deep sea Philippines, mussels have been on the decline, so starfish have had to adapt.
One thing there is a bunch of on the bottom of the sea is driftwood, and this new starfish has formed a diet exclusively on that. So it can be said that this starfish is the termite of the marina kingdom. Or it's an alien, which makes far more sense.

Inflatable Shark

So this cute little shark is kinda small. Scientist observed it filling with water to inflate its body. The purpose is to appear larger, in order to scare away predators. Which, if you're paying close attention, means there's something in the water in the Philippines that preys on sharks! Sometimes, to really annoy bigger animals, these swellsharks will dive between two rocks and inflate, so that predators can't pull them out. This is undoubtedly what passes for highbrow slapstick comedy in the aquatic world.

Sea Pen

During the day, this new species of sea pen is nowhere to be found. Hoping to escape predators, it buries itself under the sand. Which means that if you travel to the bottom of the sea, you still haven't gone down far enough to see all the life that exists.
Sea pens get their name from their resemblance to antique quill pens. However, scientists still haven't found a sea pen that produces enough feces to consistently write with.

Pancake Sea Slug

Another new member to what might be the most beautiful genus on earth, the Pancake sea slug oozes its way along the deep waters of the sea. Interestingly, sea slugs are part of the same group as snails. Sea slugs are saltwater snails that have abandoned their shells. Another fun fact is that their anuses are located right below their head. We wonder if they didn't need a shell because predators of the deep just feel sorry for sea slugs, and take pity by not eating them.

Lobsters with no shells

It seems like these creatures have a really hard road in life. When your cousins need full-plate body armor just to survive, and you've got nothing ... things are going to be difficult. This species has to constantly hide from predators. As such, it can't grow too big—it constantly needs to find crevices on the ocean floor into which to scurry. Not to mention their puny arms look like they couldn't pinch a penny. The bottom of the sea sure contains a lot of the picked-on nerds of the animal kingdom.

It's amazing to realize that there are still places on Earth teeming with undiscovered life forms, some of which are probably really cool-looking. One can only imagine what freaky animals are still waiting to be discovered by humans.

Newly Discovered Lizard Species is All Female, Survives by Cloning

by David DeFranza

from: http://www.treehugger.com/

Though it's been a well-known ingredient to chefs in South East Asia for some time, the lizard is new to science. Photo credit: L. Lee Grismer

Though it has been a regular item on menus across the Mekong delta for as long as anyone can remember, the lizard, now known as Leiolepis ngovantrii, has just recently been introduced to science.

The unusual description of the species places it in the one percent of reptiles that reproduce via parthenogenesis—in which embryos are clones of their mothers.

Endangered and Threatened Species That are Apparently Delicious (Please Don't Eat Them)

Lee Grismer, one of the herpetologists responsible for the discovery, explained:

It's an entirely new lineage of life that was being eaten and sold in restaurants for food...but it's something that scientists have missed for hundreds of years.

DNA analysis revealed that the lizard was, in fact, a new species. It also turned up the unusual fact that all of the specimens were female.

The trait is uncommon, but not unheard of. Some species of lizards and fish have been known to adapt to parthenogenesis—a trait much more common among plants and insects—when stressed by habitat depletion, pollution, or over-hunting.

So are the lizards in danger of being eaten into extinction? In this case, probably not. The dish, Grismer commented, is an acquired taste that "feels like something very old and dead [is] in your mouth."

New Monkey Sports Bushy Red Beard

• Analysis by Jennifer Viegas
• From: http://news.discovery.com/
  

An expedition to the Colombian Amazon has just revealed a new species of titi monkey that's the size of a house-cat and sports a bushy red beard, Conservation International announced today. The discovery is also described in the journal Primate Conservation.

Titi monkeys hail from South America and are territorial, monogamous, and always possess furry, never prehensile, tails. Most have a white, bar-shaped patch of fur on their foreheads, but the new monkey, Callicebus caquetensis, is an exception, as you can see.

(Photos: Javier Garcia)

(These images also come to mind, but that's too much pop culture...)

Scientists Thomas Defler, Marta Bueno and Javier García discovered the new monkey in what is known as the Department of Caquetá, Colombia. They couldn't celebrate for long, however, as they realized this species is critically endangered due to rapid loss of its forest home.

Caquetá has experienced political unrest for many years. Due to the presence of insurgent groups, travel to this region was extremely difficult. García, however, grew up there, and had heard talk about the mysterious, yet previously undescribed, monkey. He was able to examine the local wildlife while hiking and using GPS. Doing this, he found 13 groups of the new monkey, which has a very distinctive, complex call.

Crank up your volume a bit and listen to the call here:

“This discovery is extremely exciting because we had heard about this animal, but for a long time we could not confirm if it was different from other titis," said Defler. "We now know that this is a unique species, and it shows the rich diversity of life that is still to be discovered in the Amazon."

In addition to the other mentioned features, Callicebus caquetensis has grayish-brown hair and a long tail stippled with gray.

Titi monkeys such as this form life-long relationships. Pairs are often seen sitting on a branch with their tails entwined. They usually have one baby per year. As a new baby arrives, the parents force the oldest baby to leave to allow them to focus on the newborn.

(An illustration of some titi monkeys; Credit Stephen Nash)

The families of this new titi species stick together in groups of about 4 individuals and can be seen in the trees close to some of the main rivers of Caquetá. But, according to CI, this newly discovered species is struggling to survive.

It is estimated that less than 250 Caquetá titi monkeys exist -- a healthy population should be in the thousands. The main reason for this small number is the degradation of the forests in the area, which have been felled for agricultural land. It is very dangerous, and sometimes impossible, for these animals to move to other patches of forest as they have to cross grassy savannah or barbed wire fences to reach them.

The researchers ask that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classify this new monkey as Critically Endangered, meaning it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future.

“This discovery is particularly important because it reminds us that we should celebrate the diversity of Earth but also we must take action now to preserve it,” said José Vicente Rodríguez, head of science at Conservation International in Colombia and president of the Colombia Association of Zoology. “When world leaders meet later this year in Japan for the Convention on Biological Diversity, they must commit to the creation of many more protected areas if we want to ensure the survival of threatened creatures like this in the Amazon and around the world.”

Fish Found Walking in Gulf Spill

Analysis by Jennifer Viegas

From: http://news.discovery.com/

Two new species of pancake batfish, which walk using their arm-like fins, have been found at the site of the Gulf oil spill, according to a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology.

Both fish live in waters either partially or fully encompassed by the Deepwater Horizon spill.

“One of the fishes that we describe is completely restricted to the oil spill area,” says John Sparks, curator of Ichthyology at the AMNH. “If we are still finding new species of fishes in the Gulf, imagine how much diversity -- especially microdiversity -- is out there that we do not know about.”

WATCH VIDEO: A huge oarfish was caught on camera in the Gulf of Mexico recently, giving scientists a rare glimpse of the bizarre fish in its native deep sea habitat.

According to a press release issued by the museum, pancake batfishes are members of the anglerfish family Ogcocephalidae, a group of about 70 species of flat bottom-dwellers that often live in deep, perpetually dark waters. Pancake batfishes have enormous heads and mouths that can thrust forward. This, combined with their ability to cryptically blend in with their surroundings, gives them an advantage for capturing prey.

They use their stout, arm-like fins to walk awkwardly along the substrate; their movements have been described as "grotesque," resembling a walking bat. As most anglerfishes, batfishes have a dorsal fin that is modified into a spine or lure, although their lure excretes a fluid to reel in prey instead of bio-illuminating.

Sparks says the new "discoveries underscore the potential loss of undocumented biodiversity that a disaster of this scale may portend."

(Other species of fish walk too. The below video, for example, shows Australia's spotted handfish.)

---

Borneo Rainforest: New Species Found Include Lung-Less Frog

A lung-less frog and a slug that shoots love darts: Just two of the 123 new species found in Borneo rainforest since 2007

By Daily Mail Reporter

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/



A lung-less frog, a frog that flies and a slug that shoots love darts are among 123 new species found in Borneo since 2007 in a project to conserve one of the oldest rainforests in the world.

The global conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has called for protecting the threatened species and equatorial rain forest on Borneo, the South China Sea island that is the world's third-largest and is shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

'The challenge is to ensure that these precious landscapes are still intact for future generations,' said a WWF report released today.

Enlarge  

No lungs: Known as the Barbourula kalimantanensis and discovered in 2008, this flat-headed frog breathes entirely through its skin. It is among 123 new species found in Borneo since 2007

The search for the new species was part of the Heart of Borneo project that started in February 2007 and is backed by the WWF and the three countries that share the island.

The aim is to conserve 85,000 square miles of rain forest that was described by Charles Darwin as 'one great luxuriant hothouse made by nature for herself'.

 

More...

• Revealed: The secret of how worms re-grow amputated body parts... and how humans could one day do the same

Explorers have been visiting Borneo for centuries, but vast tracts of its interior are yet to be biologically explored, said Adam Tomasek, leader of WWF's Heart of Borneo project.

He said: 'If this stretch of irreplaceable rain forest can be conserved for our children, the promise of more discoveries must be a tantalizing one for the next generation of researchers to contemplate.'

Enlarge  

Dendrelaphis kopsteini: This snake has an almost flame-like neck colouration that gradually fuses into a vivid blue, green and brown pattern. When threatened it flares its nape, revealing bright orange colours

Enlarge  

Ibycus rachelae: This slug uses 'love darts' made of calcium carbonate to pierce and inject a hormone into a mate to increase the chances of reproduction

The scientists' discoveries include the world's longest known stick insect at 56.7cm, a flame-coloured snake and a frog that flies and changes its skin and eye colour.
In total, 67 plants, 29 invertebrates, 17 fish, five frogs, three snakes and two lizards and a brand new species of bird were discovered, said the report.

Borneo has long been known as a hub for monster insects, including giant cockroaches about 10cm long.

Flying frog: The Rhacophorus Penanorum changes colour at night

Notable among the species discovered are:

• A snake that has a bright orange, almost flame-like, neck colouration that gradually fuses into an extraordinary iridescent and vivid blue, green and brown pattern. When threatened it flares its nape, revealing bright orange colours
• A frog that breathes through its skin because it has no lungs, which makes it appear flat. This aerodynamic shape allows the frogs to move swiftly in fast flowing streams. Although the species was discovered in 1978, it was only now that scientists found the frog has no lungs
• A high-altitude slug found on Mount Kinabalu that has a tail three times the length of its head. They shoot calcium carbonate 'love darts' during courtship to inject a hormone into a mate. While resting, the slug wraps its long tail around its body.
  

The Heart of Borneo, the core island area the conservation effort targets, is home to ten species of primate, more than 350 birds, 150 reptiles and amphibians and a staggering 10,000 plants that are found nowhere else in the world, the report says.

Phobaeticus chani: Now officially the world's longest stick insect, it measures 56.7cm long with a body of 35.7cm). Only three have ever been found, all discovered near Gunung Kinabalu Park

Enlarge  

Crystal-clear fins: Another new discovery is the Eirmotus insignis

Read more:

Name a Newly Discovered Species of Deepwater Shrimp

Written by Jake Richardson

You might also Digg:

Currently, there are no recent stories of this type.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society is holding an Ebay auction to name a newly discovered species of deepwater shrimp.

Proceeds from the auction will go towards their marine conservation efforts. The auction will be open until March 31st.

Anna McCallum who is a graduate student at the University of Melbourne discovered the shrimp in the southwestern waters off Australia at a depth of about 400 meters. She decided to put the naming of the shrimp up for auction to raise money for conservation. The spotted shrimp has an unusual crest like a mohawk, and is about 5 cm. long.

The first part of the name has already been determined to be Lebbeus, because that is the family of shrimp the new one fits into taxonomically. The second part of the name will be determined by the winner of the auction. The convention is the second word in the name ends in the letter “i” for a male name and “ae” for a female name.

For example, if Keith Urban won the auction and wanted to honor his wife, Nicole Kidman, the shrimp’s name would be Lebbeus Nicolae. If Kevin Rose wins the auction he could choose Lebbeus Kevini. The name of the shrimp can not be that of a business entity, such as Lebbeus Diggi. Businesses, however, can participate in the auction.

The auction’s winner will also receive a painting by the artist Mali Moir. Also living in the same area of the unnamed shrimp are blue whales, bluefin tuna, and Australian fur seals. Less than one percent of the area currently has legal protection. Eighty percent of the species there are endemic, meaning they live only there.

Image Credit: Mali Moir

Tweet This Post

Tags: marine conservation, shrimp

'Seuss-like' Sea Creatures Discovered

By LiveScience Staff

A new species of sea squirt was discovered in the deep sea off Australia. The creature traps nearby fish in a manner similar to a Venus flytrap. Credit: Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory, WHOI/Jess Adkins, Caltech.

Full Size

The new species of sea anemone discovered (left bottom part of image) is a near look-alike of a coral species called d. dianthus, which is also shown in the image (upper middle). Credit: Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory, WHOI/Jess Adkins, Caltech.

Full Size

A newly identified species of carnivorous sea squirt lurks in the deep sea off Australia, where it traps and devours meaty prey swimming past.

The deep-sea resident, along with two other marine species that are new to science, were discovered by an international team of scientists during a month-long voyage aboard the research vessel RV Thompson to a marine reserve near Tasmania. The findings were announced today.

An expedition below the surface relied on the remotely operated submersible called Jason, which dropped to depths of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters).

"It was truly one of those transcendent moments," said the cruise's lead scientist, Jess Adkins of Caltech, referring to the descents made by Jason. "We were flying — literally flying — over these deep-sea structures that look like English gardens, but are actually filled with all of these carnivorous, Seuss-like creatures that no one else has ever seen."

During the voyage, researchers explored the so-called Tasman Fracture Zone within the Tasman Fracture Commonwealth Marine Reserve. Until now, scientists had only observed this zone to a depth of about 5,900 feet (1,800 meters).

Jason allowed scientists to peer much deeper into the abyss. That's where researchers spotted the new sea squirt, which is about 1.6 feet (half a meter) tall. The transparent organism is triggered to feed when a fish or other swimming snack touches the sea squirt. Similar to what happens in a Venus flytrap, the funnel-shaped section of the squirt's body traps and collapses around prey.

Sea squirts are considered tunicates, a type of marine organism with a rubbery outer covering called a tunic. The animal typically feeds by pushing water in and out of tiny tubes, filtering out bacteria and algae and other bits of food.

Other findings included newly identified species of barnacles and a sea anemone that's new to science and which the researchers called "the bane of our existence," because it looks just like a coral species the scientists were trying to collect.

In addition to surveying the life that exists in the area's deep sea, researchers hope to use the corals there to shed light on climate changes over the past 100,000 years or so.

The voyage was the second of two cruises taken by the team, which included researchers from the United States (including scientists from Caltech and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts) and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, CSIRO, the Commonwealth Environmental Research Facilities' Marine Biodiversity Hub, and the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.