Unusual snails found thriving at hydrothermal vents
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Published: 10 December 2014
MBARI researcher Shannon Johnson Williams identified five new Alviniconcha snail species from hydrothermal vents using DNA sequencing. Living in extreme heat and acidity, these “punk rock” snails have degraded or no shells. One is named after Joe Strummer.
Keywords: Alviniconcha, hydrothermal vents, deep-sea snails, DNA sequencing, extreme environments, Shannon Johnson, Joe Strummer
Finding Opisthoteuthis
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Published: 13 July 2015
MBARI Postdoctoral Fellow Stephanie Bush and her team collected five flapjack octopuses (Opisthoteuthis sp.) in Monterey Bay using ROV Ventana. These deep-sea octopuses are part of a new species Bush is describing for science and aquarium display.
Keywords: flapjack octopus, Opisthoteuthis, Stephanie Bush, MBARI, ROV Ventana, species discovery, Monterey Bay
Deep-sea worms slither around the bottom of the animal tree of life
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Published: 8 February 2016
MBARI scientists helped identify four new Xenoturbella worm species, primitive deep-sea animals with no brains, eyes, or stomachs. DNA analysis shows they’re among the most ancient bilaterally symmetrical animals, offering insight into early animal evolution.
Keywords: Xenoturbella, deep-sea worms, MBARI, bilateral symmetry, primitive animals, evolution, hydrothermal vents
