Buzz
Around 200 plant and animal species disappear on an average day. At the same time, thousands of new species emerge annually, each showcasing more dazzling traits than the previous ones.
10. Psychedelic Sea Slug
These featureless entities seem straight out of a science fiction movie. With their finger-like extensions and vibrant, rosy-blue patterns, they radiate a unique and captivating allure.
Phyllodesmium acanthorhinum, a newly identified species of sea slug, measures just 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long and proudly displays its vivid red, blue, and yellow hues. These creatures have been discovered in the waters surrounding Okinawa, along with other islands and the Great Barrier Reef.
Researchers have hailed this creature as a missing link between coral-feasting sea slugs and those that consume hydroids, microscopic organisms. Yet, these visually striking creatures are not the only gastropods with extraordinary features.
Though first discovered some years ago, sacoglossans possess their own remarkable ability. By harnessing energy from the Sun, these solar-powered creatures may demonstrate that slugs deserve more appreciation, despite their slimy nature and lack of faces.
9. Vibrantly Colored Crayfish
Ordinary crayfish never showcase colors as dazzling as these vibrant crayfish. Picture strolling through a typical pet store and suddenly spotting one of these beauties gazing at you through the glass.
That’s exactly what happened to German researcher Christian Lukhaup. Although these enigmatic crustaceans have been sold since 2000, no one had bothered to study them. Lukhaup traced their origins back to Indonesia.
Typically, crayfish have life spans of approximately 40 years. These omnivores feast on decaying wood, carcasses, leaves, and insects. While adult crayfish have no natural predators, their young must always be on guard against fish and platypuses.
These vibrant crayfish—scientifically known as Cherax pulcher—are undoubtedly visually striking, but they also face misfortune. Their survival in the wild is threatened by the pet trade, habitat destruction, local hunting for food, and all the challenges that afflict many wild creatures.
8. Ninja Lanternshark
With a name like “ninja lanternshark,” you’d expect this creature to be equally intriguing. But you might also find them a bit unnerving. With their bulging pale eyes and exposed teeth, these dark sharks resemble something straight out of a horror film.
Don’t worry, though. At roughly 46 centimeters (18 inches) in length, ninja lanternsharks are much smaller than great white sharks. You’re not likely to run into them while swimming, as they were found 300 meters (1,000 feet) underwater off the coast of Central America.
Lanternsharks are deep-sea residents with bioluminescent organs called photophores, which help them navigate their pitch-black oceanic environment. The ninja lanternshark—a recently discovered species, scientifically named Etmopterus benchleyi—earned its name from its shadowy, ninja-like appearance, lacking many of the glowing jack-o’-lantern organs found in other lanternsharks.
7. The World’s Smallest Snail
The world’s smallest snail ever discovered has a shell diameter of just 0.7 millimeters, making it much smaller than the previous record-holder, Angustopila dominikae. These tiny creatures, known as Acmella nana, can be found on the island of Borneo in Malaysia and are so small that they can only be seen under a microscope in their natural habitat.
These snails offer scientists a unique opportunity to study how isolated species evolve in specific areas. Due to their slow movement, they get trapped in a single habitat, allowing them to grow in isolation from the outside world.
Although these snails are found in three locations on the island, their fragile limestone caves are highly vulnerable. “A raging forest fire in Loloposon Cave could destroy the entire population,” warned researcher Menno Schilthuizen in an interview with LiveScience.
The limestone hills in the area are also at risk of being destroyed by quarrying, which could wipe out the homes of these record-breaking snails, along with 47 other recently discovered species.
6. The Long-Lost Whale
Although Omura’s whale wasn’t a recent discovery, it gained attention when it was captured on film for the first time in late 2015. Like a sea cryptid, Omura’s whale had been shrouded in mystery, with little known about it beyond a few washed-up carcasses and some specimens caught during Japanese whaling expeditions.
Until late 2015, no live specimens had been found. Omura’s whales are so elusive that their population remains unknown, with only 25 individuals cataloged so far. A team of researchers led by Salvatore Cerchio from the New England Aquarium and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution managed to document this marine mammal off the coast of Madagascar.
This species is often mistaken for Bryde’s whale, but Omura’s whales are distinctive due to their smaller dorsal fins and unique markings on their lower jaws.
Although little is known about these creatures, researchers agree that they inhabit tropical regions and likely do not migrate beyond the western Indian Ocean. Scientists are eager to learn more about their population density, vocalizations, and overall behavior.
5. The Glow-In-The-Dark Turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is found in the tropical waters of the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. It is considered one of the most critically endangered turtle species on the planet. As expected, these sea turtles are known for swimming, feeding on sponges, and their stunning shells.
However, one hawksbill turtle broke the mold. A group of diving scientists in the Solomon Islands discovered and filmed the first-ever biofluorescent reptile in the world.
This hawksbill sea turtle truly glows in the dark. The scientists also identified a local population of young hawksbills, each of which emits a red glow. The researchers remain puzzled as to how these remarkable reptiles achieve this phenomenon.
With their bright neon red-and-green coats, these creatures seem almost radioactive and from another world. While the regular hawksbill sea turtle has been known for quite some time, the glowing variety has only been discovered in small numbers as of early 2016.
Biofluorescence occurs when an animal absorbs light and then re-emits it as a colorful glow. This phenomenon is found in various fish, sharks, corals, and seahorses. These creatures use it for purposes like attracting prey, communicating with others, or warding off predators.
In normal lighting, biofluorescent animals seem quite ordinary. However, in the darker, deeper waters, their true colors emerge. As water absorbs most of the visible light, these animals capture the remaining blue light and transform it into a glowing neon green and red hue.
4. The Pig-Nosed Vampire Rat
This oddly named creature belongs to a small, relatively defenseless rodent that sports a face you can’t easily forget. Hyorhinomys stuempkei is a rat from Sulawesi, Indonesia, distinguished by its large, hoglike nose.
What truly catches the eye, however, are its impressively long incisors, which could rival even Dracula’s fangs. The lower teeth of this shrew rat can grow as long as 19 millimeters (0.75 inches). Scientists have admitted they’ve never encountered anything like this before.
In fact, the unique features of these pig-nosed rats are so unusual that they have been placed in a new genus. Their large ears are about one-fifth the length of their bodies.
Additionally, they’ve lost the coronoid process in their jaws, which results in a weak bite. This is good news if you come across these rats and their unsettling fangs. Fortunately, they don’t need to do much chewing, as their diet mainly consists of worms and beetle larvae.
3. Undersea Crop Circles
For two decades, scientists have been puzzled by the appearance of mysterious circles on the ocean floor. These intricate geometric patterns can stretch up to 2 meters (6 feet) in diameter. Could they be the work of underwater extraterrestrials?
Eventually, researchers uncovered the secret behind these shapes in a small marine creature: the white-spotted puffer fish. Torquigener albomaculosus uses these circles as a nest for spawning.
The male white-spotted puffer fish wiggles through the sand to craft these intricate designs in hopes that a female will be impressed by its creativity. The nests are built with grooves to protect the eggs from predators and ocean currents.
Found around Japan, the white-spotted puffer fish appears ordinary, but its artistic prowess is unparalleled. This fish feeds on hard creatures like corals and crabs to prevent its teeth from overgrowing.
White-spotted puffer fish are nocturnal and territorial creatures. Once their young hatch, ocean currents carry them far away from the nest. If they are fortunate, they will survive and one day create their own undersea masterpieces.
2. Peekaboo Spider
Australia is known for its diverse range of venomous creatures, from tiny arachnids to the most lethal snakes. However, there is one spider that may just be the cutest of them all.
First identified in 2014, Jotus remus doesn't stand out with a vibrant color scheme or a terrifying look. Instead, it's the male's fascinating courtship technique that draws attention. The two front pairs of legs are fairly ordinary, but the third pair on each side is longer and ends in a heart-shaped paddle.
When hiding under a leaf, the male raises these paddles and waves them enthusiastically, much like a cheerleader trying to get noticed. Sometimes, the male will wave his paddles for hours. If luck favors him, the female will give chase, and after a chase that resembles a game of cat and mouse, the two finally mate.
In the arachnid world, courting a mate is notoriously risky. If the male isn’t cautious, the female might turn him into a snack. As a result, male spiders like Jotus remus have developed unique dances to woo females, hoping they’ll get a chance to mate without becoming dinner.
1. Shape-Shifting Frog
Shape-shifting frogs don’t have magical powers like witches, but they are still impressive. Native to Ecuador, these frogs can alter the texture of their skin at will—from smooth to bumpy based on their environment. Currently, two species are known to possess this ability: Pristimantis sobetes and the newly discovered Pristimantis mutabilis.
These frogs are only the size of a marble, but watching their skin transform is a remarkable sight. Naturalists Katherine and Tim Krynak discovered one of these tiny amphibians and kept it in a lidded cup for observation. The frog’s back was covered in thornlike spines, resembling a punk rocker's appearance.
However, when placed on a sheet of paper, the frog’s skin smoothed out to match the surface it sat on. While the mechanism remains a mystery, scientists speculate that the frogs’ skin structures may allow water movement to play a role in changing their texture.
This skill certainly provides these shape-shifting frogs with extra defense against predators, enabling them to camouflage with their environment, whether it's jagged rocks or smooth leaves.
