“In the darkness of the deep ocean, where pressure crushes and light fails, an expedition has found an astonishing array of life, including a carnivorous ‘death-ball’ sponge (from the genus Chondrocladia) covered in tiny prey-catching hooks; ‘zombie worms’ (genus Osedax) lacking mouths but harboring symbiotic bacteria that digest whale bones; armored scale worms of iridescent colors (genus Eulagisca); and rare mollusks adapted to the volcanic seafloor.

The footage, recorded in March 2025, confirms 30 previously unknown deep-sea species from one of the planet’s most inaccessible regions in the South Atlantic Ocean.”

From Mongabay.