Deep-sea muck hid eyeless creature with ‘nipple-like’ bumps. It’s a new species
Aboard a research vessel in the South China Sea, scientists scooped up some deep-sea muck and began sifting through it. Hidden inside they found an eyeless creature.
It turned out to be a new species.
Researchers with the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey visited the South China Sea several times between 2016 and 2023 to survey bottom-dwelling marine life, according to a study published May 2 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
During the research cruises, the team collected sediment from seafloor, washed it through a sieve and pulled out any animals they found, the study said. The method worked, and the team found several unusual-looking marine worms.
Researchers took a closer look at the sea worms and quickly realized they’d discovered a new species: Sclerobregma nanhaiensis, or the South China Sea polychaete.
South China Sea polychaetes have several body segments but still measure less than an inch in length, the study said. They have “bell-shaped” heads with no eyes and “nearly spherical frontal horns.”
Photos show the new species, which has no pigmentation. The upper part of its body looks smoother and has small appendages used for movement. The lower part of its body gradually tapers to a point and is dotted with “nipple-like” bumps, researchers said.
The South China Sea polychaete belongs to a genus of “rarely encountered” marine worms and is the first species of its genus to be found in the South China Sea, the study said. Nothing is known about the lifestyle of the new species.
Researchers said they named the new species Nánhǎi, “the Chinese name for the South China Sea,” because of where it was discovered and, so far, the only place where it has been found.
The South China Sea is a disputed body of water in Southeast Asia, bordering Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The new species was identified by its DNA, body shape, bumps, segments and other subtle physical features, the study said.
The research team included Jun-Hui Lin, Ya-Qin Huang, Qian-Yong Liang and Xue-Bao He.
This story was originally published May 5, 2025 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Deep-sea muck hid eyeless creature with ‘nipple-like’ bumps. It’s a new species."
