New Creature Alert! Check This Thing Out:

SANYA, CHINA - Researchers aboard a manned submersible vehicle have identified a new species of sea cucumber in the depths of the South China Sea. 

The discovery was made during one of five deep-sea dives conducted between 2018 and 2023. The findings were published on March 20, 2024, in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.  

The newly discovered species, dubbed the brown-ringed sea cucumber or "Oneirophanta Brunneannulata," was found at a depth of approximately 4,400 feet on a sea slope. 

This reddish sea creature measures about 8 inches in length and 2 inches in width and has dozens of appendages, including 20 tentacles and over 70 tube feet used for movement.

The name Oneirophanta Brunneannulata, derived from Latin, reflects the distinctive brown rings around its tube feet. This physical characteristic, along with its tube feet, tentacles, and genetic analysis showing at least an 8 percent divergence from other Oneirophanta species, helped scientists confirm it as a new species.

Researchers, including Yunlu Xiao and Haibin Zhang, also identified two additional new sea cucumber species during their expeditions. 

According to the National Ocean Service, most sea cucumbers are scavengers. They move along the seafloor and feed on tiny particles of algae or microscopic marine animals collected with tube feet that surround their mouths.

The particles they grind down to smaller pieces are further broken down by bacteria and become part of the ocean's nutrient cycle.

The South China Sea, a region bordered by Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam, is known for its biodiversity but also faces territorial disputes. 

The discovery of the brown-ringed sea cucumber adds to the known species within this contested body of water.