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A Chaunax, a genus of bony fish in the sea toad family Chaunacidae, is seen at a depth of 1,388 meters (4,553 feet) on a seamount inside the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park. Image credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More than 100 new species have been discovered on an underwater mountain range off the coast of Chile. Among the never-before-seen critters seen on the expedition are corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, lobsters, plus a gaggle of peculiar fish and squid that are already known to science (but no less strange). The discoveries come from an international group of scientists who recently...

Marine researchers have discovered a strange alien-like creature while exploring the underwater world found in the deepest ocean trench on Earth. A team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spotted the hydromedusa jellyfish during an expedition to the Mariana Trench in the Pacific. The sea creature was captured on film after it swam close to the surface of the ocean near the agency's research ship, the "Okeanos Explorer." Based on the team's observations, this new jellyfish species shares similar features with those of Crossota genus, which are known to spend the majority of their existence gliding...

Scientists have discovered a new species of titi monkey in Brazil, according to a recent paper published in scientific journal Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. Titis are new world monkeys found across South America. These tree-dwelling primates have long, soft fur and live in small family groups consisting of a monogamous pair and their offspring. Rather touchingly, they are often observed sitting or sleeping with their tails entwined. In 2011, researcher Julio César Dalponte spotted an unusual looking titi monkey on the east bank of the Roosevelt River, whose colouration did not match any known species. Intrigued, a team of...

A newfound creature nicknamed "Dumbo" (pictured) may look like it's all ears--but the protrusions are actually fins that help propel the animal through the darkness 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) under the sea. Netted during a recent Census of Marine Life (CoML) expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, this Dumbo is among the thousands of deep-sea creatures the census has documented so far that live without ever knowing sunlight. Reaching six feet (two meters) in length and weighing 13 pounds (6 kilograms), the jumbo Dumbo is the largest of the octopus-like animals ever found.

Each year, Arizona State University's International Institute for Species Exploration releases a top 10 list of the most interesting new species from the past year. This weekend, the 2009 list came out. The top 10 includes a self-destructing palm, the longest insect, a tiny seahorse, the smallest snake, and caffeine-free coffee beans. To be especially accurate, the institute does not say these are newly discovered species. That would be very Western-scientist-centric and offensive to local populations who may know about these creatures for generations. Instead, the new top 10 winners are chosen from the "thousands of species fully described and...

A "large and spectacular"—and possibly new—tree frog species of the Nyctimystes genus squats near a clear mountain river during a 2008 expedition in Papua New Guinea. The frog is one of 50 potential new species discovered during the expedition, Conservation International (CI) announced today. Uniquely adapted to their habitat, females lay their eggs underneath river stones, and tadpoles have mouths that can suction onto slippery rocks. Other new species include jumping spiders, a striped gecko, and a tiny chirping frog. More than 600 species, old and new, were documented during the expedition into the vast Kaijende uplands, one of the...

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A funky, psychedelic fish that bounces on the ocean floor like a rubber ball has been classified as a new species, a scientific journal reported. ... The fish — which the University of Washington professor has named "psychedelica" — is a member of the antennariid genus, Histiophryne, and like other frogfish, has fins on both sides of its body that have evolved to be leg-like. But it has several behavioral traits not previously known to the others, Pietsch wrote.

Mount Everest and the Himalaya mountain range conjure images of llamas and Sherpas loaded with heavy packs. But tucked into the cold shadows of the world's tallest mountain are biologically diverse hotspots filled with poorly known plants and animals found nowhere else on the globe. Scientists from Conservation International and Disney's Animal Kingdom recently launched a two-month scientific expedition into six regions of the Tibetan "Sacred Lands" in the mountains of Southwest China and Nepal. Today they announced the discovery of a pocket of the world rich in extraordinary flora and fauna. "The fact that we found so many new...

Mexican biologist discovers new shark species 31 minutes ago MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A Mexican marine biologist has discovered a new shark species in the murky depths of Mexico's Sea of Cortez, the first new shark find in the wildlife-rich inlet in 34 years. Postgraduate student Juan Carlos Perez was on a fishing boat in early 2003 studying sharks from the Mustelus family netted at depths of 660 feet when he noticed some of them had darker skin and white markings. The sharks, slender, dark gray-brown and around 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, turned out to be a new species...

JAKARTA, Indonesia - A team of scientists exploring an isolated jungle in one of Indonesia's most remote provinces said they discovered dozens of new species of frogs, butterflies and plants — as well as large mammals hunted to near extinction elsewhere. The team also found wildlife that were remarkably unafraid of humans during their rapid assessment survey of the Foja Mountains, which has more than two million acres of old growth tropical forest, Bruce Beehler, a co-leader of the monthlong trip, said in announcing the discoveries on Tuesday. Two Long-Beaked Echidnas, a primitive egg-laying mammal, simply allowed scientists to pick...

Mystery mammal discovered in Borneo’s forests 00:01 06 December 2005 NewScientist.com news service Shaoni Bhattacharya The new beast, with its dark red fur and long tail, could be a new species of marten or civet, or belong to a new group entirely (Image: Stephan Wulffraat, WWF) Experts are mystified by the new creature, with some saying it looks like a civet, and others say that it resembles a lemur (Image: Wahyu Gumelar/Stephan Wulffraat, WWF)The mammal, which is slightly larger than a domestic cat, has dark red fur and a long, bushy tail. It was snapped twice at night by a...

A team of scientists has identified a new dolphin species - the first for at least 30 years - off north Australia. The mammals - named snubfin dolphins - were initially thought to be members of the Irrawaddy species, also found in Australian waters. But one researcher found the snubfins were coloured differently and had different skull, fin and flipper measurements to the Irrawaddys. DNA tests confirmed that they were two distinct species. The researcher, Isabel Beasley of James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland, said that because they live in shallow waters, both types face the same threats to their...

They thrive without oxygen, growing in salty, alkaline conditions, and may offer insights into what kinds of life might survive on Mars. They're a new species of organism, isolated by scientists at the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Ala. The discovery, published in the May 2003 issue of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, identifies a species named Spirochaeta americana by the two NSSTC scientists -- Richard Hoover and Dr. Elena Pikuta. They isolated this new organism from oxygen-deprived mud sediments from Northern California's Mono Lake - a salty, alkaline lake in an enclosed...

SYDNEY - Hundreds of new underwater species, including sharks and a giant sea spider the size of a dinner plate, have been discovered by scientists in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. The month-long expedition collected and photographed specimens at depths of more than two kilometres. The voyage around Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands was the most complex survey ever conducted in Australian waters. Researchers from Australia and New Zealand say the expedition has made some extraordinary discoveries. One creature, the fangtooth, has teeth longer than its head. To avoid piercing the fish's brain when it shuts its...

Scientists have discovered a fish species never before seen in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The finescale triggerfish was found by members of the Reef Ecological Assessment and Monitoring Program, who set out Sept. 8 on a monthlong expedition. The find is significant because the fish is native to the Eastern Pacific and was only seen for the first time in the main Hawaiian Islands a few years ago, expedition officials said Saturday. The movement of the fish seems to be natural, but scientists aren’t sure what led to the expansion of territory, they said. The expedition has also discovered at...

Mystery reptile loose in county? By Katharhynn Heidelberg Journal Staff Writer Cortez, CO, July 30 - Could the Southwest be home to a mysterious new species of reptile? Nick Sucik, a private researcher from Minnesota, thinks it's possible. Sucik has been tracking sightings of an elusive lizard-like creature ever since hearing tales of "river dinosaurs" from those involved in the legally sketchy "reptile trade." The "dino" is said to walk exclusively on its hind legs; to stand about 3 feet tall; and to have armlike appendages instead of forelegs. The reptile usually is seen near a wet environment and moves...

HOBART, Australia (AP) - A giant squid that washed up on an Australian beach could be a previously unknown species, scientists said Monday. The 550-pound creature was found dead Saturday on a beach in Hobart in Tasmania state and was transported Monday to the Tasmanian Museum. Experts were studying its unusual characteristics, which include long, thin flaps of muscle attached to each of its eight arms. "What we've seen on this animal we haven't seen on other squid, and it's a significant feature," said zoologist David Pemberton. "It's basically like having a pile of muscles on your own body that...