A semi-transparent crab about the size of an almond and a tiny, glowing lantern shark are among two new species discovered by Australian scientists exploring the deep sea.
In late 2022, scientists from Australia’s science agency CSIRO embarked on a research voyage in the Gascoyne Marine Park, about 20km (12 miles) off the coast of Western Australia.
Australia is one of the world’s biggest biodiversity hotspots, home to more than a million different species, many of which are not found anywhere else on earth.
But – like much of the globe – large swathes of its water remain unexplored, and the animal and plant life within them unknown to science.
Among the hundreds of specimens collected during the 2022 voyage was the newly described West Australian Lantern Shark. Growing up to 40cm, it has large eyes and a glowing belly, and was found more than 600m below the ocean’s surface.
”Lantern sharks are bioluminescent, with light produced by photophores located on their belly and flanks, which is where their common name comes from,” Dr Will White, a fish scientist, said.
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