‘Transparent' sea creature with horn-like appendages discovered as new species
Scientists looked at the 'gelatinous' animal — and discovered a new species.
A team of researchers visited the coast near San Patricio Melaque several times between 2018 and 2019 to survey its marine life. Their work focused on the smaller animals living in the open water, a 'poorly studied' topic, according to a study published July 11 in the peer-reviewed journal Diversity.
To do this, researchers trawled the surface of the water with special, finely meshed plankton nets, the study said. Next, they sifted through what was caught, 'gently transferred' any interesting specimens 'to a cooler' and took the animals to a laboratory for further observation.
Eventually, researchers caught several 'transparent' nudibranchs, or sea slugs, that didn't look like anything they'd seen before. They looked closer at these animals, analyzed their DNA and realized they'd discovered a new species: Pleuropyge melaquensis, or the San Patricio Melaque sea slug.
San Patricio Melaque sea slugs have 'transparent, elongate' bodies measuring less than an inch in length, the study said. Their heads have two horn-like appendages known as rhinophores.
Photos show the new species. Its internal organs are clearly visible and vary in hue from orange to white to dark brown.
Unlike the majority of sea slugs which live on the seafloor, the new species lives in the water column, the study said. As a result, it has 'a suite of specialized traits' to 'enhance swimming efficiency and reduce visibility to predators in the open ocean.'
San Patricio Melaque sea slugs swim by moving their bodies rapidly side to side, a similar approach to how snakes slither. Researchers also saw the sea slugs pooping, releasing 'thread-like strands of egg tissue' and changing their body shape from oval to 'nearly spherical.'
Much about the new species and its lifestyle remains unknown.
Researchers said they named the new species after San Patricio Melaque, a town on Mexico's central Pacific coast near the only three sites where the new species has been found, the study said.
The new species was considered so unique that researchers placed it in a new genus, Pleuropyge, named after the Greek words for 'side' and 'anus' because of the 'position of the anus.'
The new species was identified by its preferred habitat, body shape, internal anatomy, tail shape, reproductive system and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had 'major genetic distance' from other sea slugs.
The research team included Jeimy Santiago-Valentín, Eric Bautista-Guerrero, Eva Kozak, Gloria Pelayo-Martínez and Carmen Franco-Gordo.
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Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
‘Transparent' sea creature with horn-like appendages discovered as new species
Off the western coast of Mexico, a 'transparent' sea creature with horn-like appendages swam through the water, or it tried to at least. But something caught it and pulled it toward the surface. Scientists looked at the 'gelatinous' animal — and discovered a new species. A team of researchers visited the coast near San Patricio Melaque several times between 2018 and 2019 to survey its marine life. Their work focused on the smaller animals living in the open water, a 'poorly studied' topic, according to a study published July 11 in the peer-reviewed journal Diversity. To do this, researchers trawled the surface of the water with special, finely meshed plankton nets, the study said. Next, they sifted through what was caught, 'gently transferred' any interesting specimens 'to a cooler' and took the animals to a laboratory for further observation. Eventually, researchers caught several 'transparent' nudibranchs, or sea slugs, that didn't look like anything they'd seen before. They looked closer at these animals, analyzed their DNA and realized they'd discovered a new species: Pleuropyge melaquensis, or the San Patricio Melaque sea slug. San Patricio Melaque sea slugs have 'transparent, elongate' bodies measuring less than an inch in length, the study said. Their heads have two horn-like appendages known as rhinophores. Photos show the new species. Its internal organs are clearly visible and vary in hue from orange to white to dark brown. Unlike the majority of sea slugs which live on the seafloor, the new species lives in the water column, the study said. As a result, it has 'a suite of specialized traits' to 'enhance swimming efficiency and reduce visibility to predators in the open ocean.' San Patricio Melaque sea slugs swim by moving their bodies rapidly side to side, a similar approach to how snakes slither. Researchers also saw the sea slugs pooping, releasing 'thread-like strands of egg tissue' and changing their body shape from oval to 'nearly spherical.' Much about the new species and its lifestyle remains unknown. Researchers said they named the new species after San Patricio Melaque, a town on Mexico's central Pacific coast near the only three sites where the new species has been found, the study said. The new species was considered so unique that researchers placed it in a new genus, Pleuropyge, named after the Greek words for 'side' and 'anus' because of the 'position of the anus.' The new species was identified by its preferred habitat, body shape, internal anatomy, tail shape, reproductive system and other subtle physical features, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had 'major genetic distance' from other sea slugs. The research team included Jeimy Santiago-Valentín, Eric Bautista-Guerrero, Eva Kozak, Gloria Pelayo-Martínez and Carmen Franco-Gordo.
National Geographic
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Photograph By Andrea Frazetta, Nat Geo Image Collection Nicoya is located in a region of Central America with the world's lowest rate of middle-age mortality and the second highest concentration of male centenarians. The longevity secret here lies partly in strong faith communities, deep social networks, and habits of regular, low-intensity physical activity. The high concentration of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda is credited with giving residents 10 more healthy years than the average American. Daily meals in this Los Angeles suburb follow a biblical diet of grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. (This American diet could add 10 years to your life) Residents of Loma Linda, California, engage in regular physical activity and eat a largely plant-based diet, which can lead to longer and healthier lives, according to the Adventist Health Study. Photograph by CALEB THAL, The New York Times/Redux What is the 'Blue Zones Diet'? 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According to the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Study, which has been tracking thousands of participants since 1974, a pesco-vegetarian diet can lower the risk of death in the elderly by 18 percent. However, eating right is just part of the picture. After all, 'man does not live by bread alone.' The key to cultivating a long and healthy life may start with a good diet but builds on it with strong relationships and community. The good news is you don't have to live in a certified blue zone to reap the benefits. Editor's note: This story originally published on April 6, 2017. It was updated on July 15, 2025.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Bizarre 12-sided object dating to Roman Empire baffles scientists: ‘A cosmic symbol'
There are many sides to this story. Scientists remain baffled over a mysterious 12-sided bronze object dating back to the Roman Empire — theorizing it could be anything from a candle holder to a 'cosmic symbol.' The first Roman dodecahedron was discovered in 1739 in the English Midlands. Since then,120 of the geometric enigmas have been unearthed from the former Northwestern Provinces of the Roman Empire, with scientists noting that all of the specimens date back to the late second and fourth centuries, Live Science reported. Classical archaeologist Michael Guggenberger, who has published several studies on the objects, described them in a 2000 study as a pentagonal dodecahedron, which is created when 12 pentagons form surfaces of the hollow object, intersecting at 20 different corners. Meanwhile, each pentagonal face has a hole of a varying size while each corner is studded with a ball, like an ancient model of a viral pathogen. The multifaceted anomalies range in size from a golf ball to the size of a grapefruit, as was the case with a dodecahedron that was exhumed in Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, during the summer of 2023, Smithsonian magazine reported. Richard Parker, secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, told the outlet that the metal artifact was in 'excellent condition — considering it's been buried for 1,700 years — and complete with no damage.' Despite the treasure trove of evidence, scientists remain no closer to pinpointing the purpose of the mysterious object. 'Nobody knows for certain how the Romans used them,' wrote Smithsonian in 2023. Interestingly, the objects were discovered in countries ranging from Austria to France and Luxembourg –but not Italy — leading Guggenberger to postulate that they could be traced back to the Celtic tribes of the Roman Empire. The dodecahedrons have been found everywhere from men's and women's graves to trash piles, further complicating the search for an explanation as to their function. As the baubles aren't depicted in ancient art, there is no historical record of their origin or use. So far, researchers have floated 50 different theories regarding their purposes, suggesting that they could be weapons, range finders, candlestick holders or even dice. However, many researchers believe that the objects' ornate design and their relatively pristine condition demonstrate that they were no run-of-the-mill implement. 'A huge amount of time, energy and skill was taken to create our dodecahedron, so it was not used for mundane purposes,' wrote the Norton Disney group. 'They are not of a standard size, so will not be measuring devices. They don't show signs of wear, so they are not a tool.' Guggenberger believed that the dodecahedron occupied a more symbolic role related to the theories of Greek philosophers such as Plato and Pythagoras. In Platonic-Pythagorean symbolism, four solid shapes corresponded with four elements — tetrahedrons with fire, octahedrons with air, icosahedrons with water, and hexahedrons with earth — while 'the dodecahedron served as an all-encompassing symbol representing the universe,' Guggenberger said. A breakthrough possibility emerged in 1966, when scientists discovered a dodecahedron next to a rod-shaped bone artifact in a woman's grave in Germany. That suggested the dodecahedron could have adorned it like a staff or symbolic scepter for use in Druidic rituals. Guggenberger theorized that, for now, the most likely interpretation of the dodecahedron is 'as a cosmic, all-encompassing symbol' with 'a function comparable to an amulet.'
