'Walking Fish' Among 100 New Species Found Thriving In Deep Sea Off Chile

An international team of scientists discovered what is thought to be over 100 new species dwelling on seamounts off the coast of Chile.

From deep-sea corals to glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, and squat lobsters, scientists believe these finds from a recent mission may contribute to new science.

The scientists set sail early in 2024 on the Schmidt Ocean Institute's Falkor research vessel to explore the depths of the southeastern Pacific Ocean.

They dispatched a robotic underwater vehicle, or ROV, outfitted with lights and cameras, down more than 5,000 feet to webcast the hidden delights beneath the sea.

Scientists discovered a life form that looks like a living constellation and moves like an underwater tumbleweed; scarlet crustaceans with long, spindly legs wrapped in spines; and a variety of species that emit bioluminescence.

"On this expedition, we were able to observe over 150 species that have not been reported for the region, and we believe potentially 100 or more of those are new species to science," said Erin Easton, an assistant professor at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley who was involved in the expedition.

One creature that stuck out was a "walking" fish with googly eyes and crocheted skin.

It's a sea toad, a deep-sea anglerfish known for its melancholy visage and the bright lure it dangles in front of to entice prey. Its doily-like skin is made up of tiny needles that most likely provide protection and openings for sensory organs.

The sea toad has modified fins that allow it to walk on the seafloor-partly as a hunting technique and partially because it is more energy efficient than swimming.

The sea toad, which is the first scientific report of one in the southeastern Pacific, is most certainly a new species, according to scientists.

Seamounts

The researchers also identified four newly undiscovered undersea mountains known as seamounts, as well as six that were already known to scientists.

Team member Jan Maximiliano Guerra, a Ph.D. student at the Catholic University of the North, said the distinct morphology of the seamounts allows various sorts of organisms to exist and adapt to a lifestyle that can only be found on that specific mountain.

"Therefore, most of the species we find along this mountain range and in the seamounts are unique in nature and cannot be found anywhere else in the world," he added.

According to NOAA, there may be more than 100,000 seamounts globally, but less than 0.1 percent of them have been studied. Far fewer are protected from potentially damaging human activities, including commercial fishing, bottom trawling, and mining.

Fortunately, two of the underwater mountains the scientists discovered are already marine protected areas.

Experts said more seamounts should be protected.

During the mission, chief scientist Javier Sellanes, a marine biologist at the Catholic University of the North in Chile, saw massive sponges, fields of sea lilies, seafloor-dwelling octopuses, and enormous, 10-foot-tall bamboo corals-all of which lived in quite different environments.

Many plants and animals found on seamounts are especially fragile, as they reside nowhere else.