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Team Discovers Mini-Monsters of the Deep
Thousands of bizarre creatures discovered in blackest black
By Mary Papenfuss
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Posted Nov 23, 09 3:12 AM CST
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(Newser)
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A team of scientists have discovered thousands of incredibly bizarre new creatures living in the blackness of the deep Atlantic ocean. They range from "Jumbo Dumbo," an octopod that swims by flapping a pair of ear-like fins, to shining golden crustaceans. Most of the animals found are only a few millimeters long and were discovered on the slopes of the Atlantic ridge as far down as 3 miles deep.
The search, by unmanned deep-water robots, is part of a marine census being conducted by international scientists. The deepest parts of the ocean have long been considered a wasteland largely devoid of life. But in fact, the blackest deep hosts an incredible array of unusual life. "To survive in the deep, animals must find and exploit meager or novel resources, and their great diversity reflects how many ways there are to adapt," said a scientist from the University of Louisiana.