Mysterious orange creature found along shore in China. It’s an ‘enigmatic’ new species
A bright orange, blob-like creature was recently spotted along the coast of China.
The mysterious animal, measuring less than an inch long, is a new “enigmatic” species of sea slug, according to a study published June 27 in the journal ZooKeys.
Researchers collected specimens of the previously unidentified ocean dweller from the intertidal zone of a beach in Tianheng, located in northeastern China.
The tiny specimens were taken to a laboratory where they were placed in a saltwater tank to be photographed and observed. Then they were fixed in an ethanol solution and dissected under a microscope.
DNA was removed from a portion of the specimens, which upon analysis, confirmed the presence of a brand new species belonging to the Kaloplocamus genus, a group of shell-less sea molluscs.
Like other members of the genus, the new species, named albopunctatus, displays vibrant color patterns. Its body is fluorescent orange dotted with red patches, which look like specks of blood.
It is also characterized by a series of white pointed protusions, and its gill is situated between the second and third pair of these bumps.
Unlike many other sea slugs, the creature is not bioluminescent, meaning it doesn’t give off light in the dark, researchers affiliated with the Ocean University of China said.
Other members of the genus emit light when threatened — perhaps in order to distract potential predators. But the albopunctatus specimens failed to become bioluminescent after a month of recurrent prodding with tweezers, researchers said.
The newfound sea slug is now the sixth member of the poorly understood Kaloplocamus genus.
Sea slugs are delicate and flashy, and have been called the “underwater version of the butterfly and the caterpillar combined,” according to a study published in the journal Aquaculture in 2013.
They can be found throughout the ocean, from shallow tidal pools to the deep sea, according to the California Academy of Sciences. Often they are confused with sea cucumbers, which are much larger.
This story was originally published June 28, 2023 at 2:54 PM.