Posted on 07/11/2010 9:00:53 AM PDT by JoeProBono
A rare basket star, seen riding on its intricate network of arms, is among a haul of strange and previously unknown deep-sea creatures recently found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, scientists announced Tuesday.
Ten potentially new species—including "mountaineering" sea cucumbers and possible "missing links" between invertebrates and backboned animals—were discovered during the six-week expedition.
The voyage, which ended July 3, was the last of the MAR-ECO project, a series of biological surveys of unexplored waters along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the underwater mountain range that bisects the Atlantic Ocean from north to south.
Star of the Deep Photograph courtesy David Shale
Swimming Sea Cucumber
Electric Blue Worm
This newfound creature is part of a group that may represent an evolutionary link between vertebrates and invertebrates, scientists believe.
Seafloor-Skimming Jellyfish
Sea Cucumber Mountaineers
Purple Progenitor
GOD had such a good time making these FABULOUS CREATURES!!!
Very interesting, Joe.
And to think it wasn’t too long ago when they thought life was nearly impossible at such depths. I was taught in school that the bottom of the middle of the oceans around the world were probably without life except for microbes.
They must all be politicians as it seems none of them has a real brain or a real backbone.
One of these look like the “Dooms day machine” from the old Star Trek tv show....
Word, to that
I don’t know why they are called ‘living fossils’.
They’re just ‘new’ to us.
“It was good”
It was probably a surprise to those 'living fossils' that there were creatures that could live somewhere other than in the deep ocean, and that they had cameras.
>> They must all be politicians as it seems none of them has a real brain or a real backbone. <<
Lol! Could you identify which creature is which politician please? Heehee
Yeah, there goes the neighborhood!
That picture has me strangely aroused and frightened at the same time...
Michelle O without the boob belt.
So that’s where people who make ‘sex toys’ get their ideas!
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