Scientists say they have identified more than 300 species that may be new to science, thanks to the California Academy of Sciences' 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition. One of the probable new species is this type of Nembrotha nudibranch, also known as sea slug. These brightly colored mollusks don’t need shells for protection. Instead, they produce powerful toxins to keep potential predators at bay.
— Terry Gosliner
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A leggy crab
Researchers found this Carcinoplax crab in the deep sea during the 2011 Philippines Biodiversity Expedition, and they believe that it's a new species.
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Coral beauty
Researchers found multiple colonies of Umbellulifera coral, including this apparently new species. To determine where this coral fits in the species classification system, scientists will have to study microscopic skeletal elements called sclerites and perhaps even sequence its DNA.
— Gary Williams
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Inflatable shark
This new species of deep-sea swell shark can inflate its stomach with water to bulk up and scare off predators.
— Stephanie Stone
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Going naked
This new species of Armina nudibranch, or sea slug, was discovered during the California Academy of Sciences’ 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition. The word "nudibranch" derives from the Latin and Greek words for "naked gills." The shell-less mollusks breathe through bushy extremities in their backs rather than using gills.
— Credit: Terry Gosliner
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Star of the sea
This colorful new species is a member of the sea pen genus Veretillum. The animal is only seen at night, when it emerges from the sand and extends its starlike polyps to feed on microscopic plankton in the water.
— Gary Williams
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Urchin of a different color
This potentially new urchin species is a member of the genus Echinothrix. It has a distinctive red color that differentiates it from the brownish, white-banded Echinothrix calamaris.
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The worm turns
This worm, a likely new species of the genus Myrianida, was found in coral rubble during the California Academy of Sciences' 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition.