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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Hundreds of New Reef Creatures Found in Australia


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A comb jelly trips the light fantastic as it pulses off Heron Island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The creature was among thousands of species sampled at three coral reef sites during a four-year survey led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science. (See more of the newfound animals.)

The survey team announced in September 2008 that it has discovered hundreds of animals new to science, including previously unknown shrimp, worms, scavenging crustaceans, and as many as 150 new species of soft corals.

Photograph courtesy Gary Cranitch/Queensland Museum/copyright 2008