Finding Nemo's Cousin: Scientists Spot New Marine Species

Oct. 16, 2007 — A swimming sea cucumber, a Nemo-like orange fish and a worm with tentacles sprouting from its head are among dozens of possible new species found during a survey of the Celebes Sea, researchers said Tuesday.

A team of U.S. and Filipino scientists plunged up to three miles underwater in early October in an area that has been isolated by rising sea levels and may have spawned sea life not found elsewhere.

They collected between 50 and 100 potentially undiscovered species of marine invertebrates and fishes.

"These waters are the richest biological regions of the world but have been largely unexplored," said expedition leader, Larry Madin, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

The survey was conducted by Woods Hole, National Geographic and Filipino scientists at the Coral Triangle — bodies of water bounded by the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia that are known to contain the world's richest biodiversity in shallow water marine species.

It will take a few more weeks of study of the deepwater sea life samples before they can be declared new species, Madin said during a video presentation of the findings in Manila.

Among the more unusual finds were an orange-tinged sea cucumber that uproots itself from the seabed and swims using flaps on its transparent body, and a worm with tentacles coming out of its head and transparent paddle fins growing all over its tan body.

"We don't know what this is," Madin said of the worm. "It might be something big."

Of the fish collected, a tiny, angular orange one with a puckered yellow mouth looked like the main character in the animated Hollywood film "Finding Nemo," Madin said.

The team also collected various types of deepwater jellyfish, predatory eels and single-celled organisms — as well as piles of household garbage.

The area holds promise for more discoveries, Madin said.