Four new species of giant single-celled organisms that live inside ‘skeletons’ up to four inches long have been discovered lurking in the Pacific Ocean.
Two were found hiding inside fan-shaped or flat structures poking out of the seafloor, that they had built themselves, while a third was identified inside a near-perfect ball made out of bits of sponge.
Another single-celled organism was found living inside a mudball, but this collapsed when it was touched meaning it could not be identified.
A robot picked up the creatures – known as xenophyophores – when it dived three miles below the surface to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which is located between Hawaii and the US mainland.
Abyssalia sphaerica: This new species of xenophyophore builds a circle around itself out of bits of sponges. It was found in the Clarion-Clipperton zone, three miles below the surface between Hawaii and the US mainland
Abyssalia sphaerica: The new species formed a near-perfect sphere. It is pictured above on the seabed (left) and inside the lab for analysis (right)
The xenophyophores were found in the vast Clarion-Clipperton Zone (pictured above)
Each organism had its genetics and body shape examined before scientists decided to identify it as a new species.
Three of the four were so unique they had to be grouped into distinct genera – a group of similar species – which were named Moanammina, after the Hawaiian word for ocean, and Abyssalia, in recognition of its hostile habitat.
Moanammina semicircularis was found on the bottom of the seafloor inside a fan up to three inches long.
Abyssalia foliformis was found inside a flat, leaf-shaped structure, and Abyssalia sphaerica was found inside a perfect sphere. Both were built out of pieces of sponge.
The fourth species identified was Psammina tenuis, which was found in a delicate, thin and plate-like structure.
‘We were so excited to find these beautiful new xenophyophores,’ said Andrew Gooday, professor at the UK’s National Oceanography Centre and lead author of the study.
‘These four new species and two new genera have increased the number of described xenophyophores in the Clartion-Clipperton Zone to 17 (22 per cent of the global total for this group), with many more known but still undescribed.’
Moanammina semicircularis: This new species built fans, which poked out of the seafloor. They were up to three inches tall and were collected by an underwater robot
Moanammina semicircularis: This species is one of the two new genera identified. It is named after the Hawaiian for ocean. Right is a close-up of its surface
Psammina tenuis: This species built a delicate, thin, plate-like home around itself
Psammina tenuis: This creature built a fan-like home. Xenophyophores bodies are thought to account for just one per cent of the large structures that they build
Oceanographer Craig Smith, from the UH Manoa School and chief scientists of the cruise in which they were found, said: ‘The abundance and diversity of these giant single-celled organisms is truly amazing!
‘We see them everywhere on the seafloor in many different shapes and sizes. They clearly are very important members of the rich biological communities living in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
‘They provide microhabitats and potential food sources for other organisms. We need to learn much more about the ecology of these weird protozoans if we wish to fully understand how seafloor mining might impact these seafloor communities.’
Metals used for making re-chargeable batteries and touch screens have been found on the surface of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, sparking an interest in deep sea mining in the area.
Potato-sized lumps thought to contain copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese and rare earth elements have all been found on the seafloor, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Abyssalia foliformis: This species builds a flat, leaf-shaped home for itself. It is pictured (left) on the seabed, three miles below the surface, and (right) in the lab for analysis
Abyssalia foliformis: This species framework is formed of small granular structures
As the area falls in international waters, rights to access its resources are administered by the International Seabed Authority.
It has so far handed out 16 deep-sea mining contracts, with exploration areas covering around 400,000 miles.
Nine areas of the Clarion-Clipperton seabed have also been designated Areas of Particular Environmental Interest, meaning they are protected from mining activities.
The study was published in the European Jouranl of Protistology.
What are the giant single-celled organisms xenophyophores?
Xenophyophores are abundant in the deep sea. One is pictured above
Xenophyophores are very large single-celled organisms living on the seafloor that build skeletons up to four inches long around themselves.
How big are they? Despite living inside large skeletons, their bodies are thought to make up only one per cent of the ‘skeleton’.
So, although they are very large for a cell, they are tiny in comparison to the structures they build around themselves.
What do they eat? Xenophyophores deploy strings of mucus along their ‘skeletons’ to catch sediment and other particles that they can eat.
It is also thought that bacteria may live on these mucous threads, and are farmed by the xenophyophores for food.
What are their ‘skeletons’ made of? This varies depending on the species. Some use mud, others bits of sponge, and some use a range of different materials.
Are they common? The creatures are considered to be very abundant on the seafloor, and up to 2,000 can be found within three square feet.
They are also considered to be the bedrock of ocean ecosystems, providing food and a habitat for other organisms including crabs, snail embryos and starfish.
Source: Small Things Considered Blog