High-quality video and photography were crucial for describing this new species,” Collins explained. Even if we had the equipment, there would have been very little time to process the animal because gelatinous animals don’t preserve very well ctenophores are even worse than jellyfish in this regard. “We didn’t have sample collection capabilities on the ROV at the time. No physical samples were collected, so the videos are our only evidence of the species’ existence. We don’t have the same microscopes as we would in a lab, but the video can give us enough information to understand the morphology in detail, such as the location of their reproductive parts and other aspects,” said Collins. The cameras on the Deep Discoverer robot are able to get high-resolution images and measure structures less than a millimeter. “It’s unique because we were able to describe a new species based entirely on high-definition video. Watch video of the first encounter with the newly discovered ctenophore: This marks the first time NOAA scientists exclusively used high-definition video to describe and annotate a new creature. NOAA Fisheries scientists Mike Ford and Allen Collins, working shoreside, spotted it and recognized it as novel. Although they look similar, comb jellies and jellyfish are not closely related.ĭeep Discoverer, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) captured high-definition video of the new ctenophore species during a 2015 dive off the coast of Puerto Rico. They are all carnivores and many are highly efficient predators that eat small arthropods and many kinds of larvae. Between 100–150 species of comb jellies have been identified and validated. ![]() Most comb jellies have eight rows of comb-like cilia that rhythmically beat, refracting light into colors, as they paddle through the water. The new species and a new virtual method of describing and documenting the discovery are both explained in Plankton and Benthos Research. The discovery was made during an underwater expedition led by the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. A NOAA Fisheries research team discovered Duobrachium sparksae, a new species of ctenophore, or comb jelly.
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