BUMPY: The unexpectedly cute creature discovered in the ocean

In the depths of the ocean there is a very cute creature: the Caracol fish. It is a pink, pink animal with the shape of a large tidy, whose bustled eyes and distracted smile.

According to, this friendly ocean guest, is one of the Three species of newly discovered snails which were found off the coast of California to depths of 3,268-4.119 meters.

O rugged snail — Careproctus colliculi – It is the most charismatic of the three who make their taxonomic debut. But the darl — Careproctus yanceyi – and the Elegant Carcol Fish — Paraliparis in – These are also interesting additions to the family.

For the investigation, in the magazine Ichthyology and Herpetologyspecimens were collected from each for a deeper analysis, contributing to our understanding of the genetics, physiology and ecology of these strange fish.

The Caracol Fish (Family Liparidae) are thus designated because, in slightly deep waters, they often use the suction cup -shaped disc to cling to rocks and algae, curling the tail around them.

In deeper waters, they can use their abdominal disk to cling to a crab or to immobilize at the bottom of the sea.

“The deep sea houses incredible diversity of organisms and a truly beautiful set of adaptations,” says Mackenzei GerringerMarine Biologist, from Suny Geneseo.

“Our discovery, not one, but of three new species of Caracol fish, reminds us of much that we still have to learn about life on earth and the power of curiosity and exploitation.”

Caracol fish are found in every oceans of the earth, from the brightest depths to the darkest. But while many were recorded in Hadal and Batimetric depths, very few were sighted in the ocean abyss.

Like Gerringer had long suspected, the discovery of these new species suggests that There are much more snails to inhabit the abyssal zone.

But our understanding of the depths is growing rapidly, with remotely operated vehicles with Doc Ricketts, with which scientists have collected these snails, offering new visions of these unknown ecosystems almost daily.

This question is increasingly important as the industry also looks at the depths of the sea to extract materials such as cobalt and even hydrogen. Even without mining exploitation, we still don’t know enough about how human activities are affecting these ecosystems or, in fact, how they and their inhabitants affect us.

“Documenting deep sea biodiversity is critical to detecting any changes that may be occurring in this environment,” says Steven HaddockMarine Biologist of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, who led the research expedition.