The newly named Duobrachium sparksi was discovered by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Management Fisheries Research Team about two miles below sea level. It was discovered during an underwater campaign using a remote-controlled vehicle in 2015 and was filmed by a high-definition camera.
“The cameras on the Deep Discover robot are capable of measuring resolution images and structures less than a millimeter. We don’t have the same microscope as in a laboratory, but the video can give us enough information to understand.” Morphology, ”Collins said.
Scientists also said that there is another special feature in the discovery. During this campaign, they were not able to collect any samples, so video evidence is all they have.
“The nomenclature of the organism is guided by the international code, but some changes have allowed the description of new species based on video – precisely when the species is rare and when collection is impossible,” Ford said. “When we made these observations, we were down 4,000 meters, using a remote vehicle, and we didn’t have the ability to take samples.”
There are 100 to 150 species of comb jelly, and despite their names, they are not related to jellyfish, according to NOAA. The species is carnivorous, and many are very efficient predators that eat small arthropods and many types of larvae.
“We’re not yet sure about their role in the ecosystem,” Ford said.
“We can consider that it offers similar roles to other stenophores near the ocean floor and also has some similarities with other stenophores in open sea areas.”
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