Discovery of a new species of nudibranch, named Bathydevius caudactylus, found swimming freely in the bathypelagic zone of the Pacific Ocean at depths of over 2,200 meters. This is the first known nudibranch to inhabit deep open waters, rather than the seafloor or shallow waters where nudibranchs are typically found.
Bathydevius caudactylus is a unique nudibranch with several distinctive features. It has a large, gaping hood-like structure used to capture crustacean prey and a fringe-like tail that can detach as a defensive mechanism. The creature is bioluminescent and glows when threatened.
Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) extensively studied 157 individuals of this species, including 32 in detail and 18 collected for laboratory analysis. This allowed them to comprehensively describe the anatomy, behavior, reproduction, and genetics of this previously unknown deep-sea species.
The discovery of Bathydevius caudactylus suggests that the evolutionary adaptations of nudibranchs are more flexible and diverse than previously believed. It represents the most comprehensive initial description of a new deep-sea species to date.
Source: Science Alert
