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Scientists uncover hidden world of alien-like creatures beneath Antarctic ice

By isabelle // 2025-04-17

• Scientists discovered bizarre new sea creatures in the Southern Ocean, including sea pigs, giant sea spiders, and sea butterflies.
• Sea pigs are deep-sea cucumbers that feed on organic debris in extreme depths.
• Giant sea spiders, unrelated to land spiders, have leg spans up to 20 inches and unique body structures.
• A rare sea butterfly named "Clio" spawned aboard the ship, offering new insights into its reproduction.
• Antarctica's untouched ecosystems reveal unknown species, highlighting the need for careful exploration and conservation.

Scientists traversing the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean have hauled up a menagerie of bizarre and previously unknown sea creatures, including bloated "sea pigs," giant sea spiders, and delicate sea butterflies. These discoveries, made aboard the Australian research vessel RSV Nuyina, offer a glimpse into the resilience and ingenuity of life thriving in one of Earth’s most extreme environments. Among the most striking specimens is the sea pig — a type of deep-sea cucumber resembling a gelatinous, orange blob with stubby legs. These creatures, which typically dwell between 3,300 and 19,500 feet below the surface, feed on organic debris drifting down from above, a nutrient source known as "marine snow." Their unusual appearance is a testament to the specialized adaptations required to survive in the crushing pressures of the deep.

Diversity beneath the ice

The expedition has also unveiled sea spiders "as big as your hand" and sea stars "that grow to the size of a dinner plate," according to Jan Strugnell, a marine biology professor at James Cook University. Though their name suggests kinship with terrestrial spiders, sea spiders are a distinct group of arthropods more closely related to crabs. Some species boast leg spans up to 20 inches, with their vital organs often extending into their spindly limbs in a remarkable evolutionary quirk. One of the rarest finds was a delicate sea butterfly, a type of floating sea snail that flutters through the water like a winged insect. The specimen, nicknamed "Clio," began spawning aboard the ship, marking the first time researchers have observed its egg development. "The team is super excited about having the little creature and observing it and looking after it," said oceanographer Laura Herraiz Borreguero. "So that it tells all the secrets that have been hidden until now."

A pristine natural laboratory

Antarctica’s untouched ecosystems serve as a living laboratory, revealing marine life that has evolved in isolation over millennia. Many of the organisms collected may be entirely new to science, highlighting how much remains unknown about Earth’s oceans. The fragile nature of these discoveries underscores the necessity of careful handling. Specialized tanks and aquariums aboard the RSV Nuyina allow researchers to study live specimens without compromising their survival. A similar breakthrough occurred when an iceberg broke away from the George VI Ice Shelf earlier this year, exposing a previously hidden underwater ecosystem. Researchers aboard the R/V Falkor explored the newly revealed seabed, discovering thriving coral communities, sponges, and giant sea spiders — organisms that had flourished beneath the ice for centuries. "We didn’t expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem," said marine biologist Patricia Esquete.

Protecting nature’s secrets

These expeditions emphasize the importance of preserving Antarctica’s pristine waters while responsibly satisfying scientific curiosity. The findings deepen our understanding of how life adapts to extreme conditions, offering insights that could inform research in medicine, biology, and even astrobiology. Earth’s oceans, particularly those encircling the frozen continent, remain one of the last frontiers of exploration. Each dive or trawl holds the potential for discovery, whether it's a translucent "jelly pig" from the abyss or a previously unknown species of sea spider. As researchers continue to document these creatures, they remind us that mystery and wonder still linger in the world’s most remote corners. Sources for this article include: LiveScience.com Earth.com The-Sun.com

environment marine life research ecology Antarctica discoveries breakthrough weird science ocean health sea creatures goodscience real investigations