ScienceShot: Squidworm discovered at bottom of Celebes Sea

At the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of meters below the surface, scientists have discovered a remarkable new creature they have dubbed the "squidworm." The researchers used a remotely operated vehicle to find Teuthidodrilus samae at the bottom of the Celebes Sea off the eastern coast of Borneo. The segmented worm, whose discovery the team details online today in Biology Letters, sports a series of 10 large appendages near its head that give it a squid-like appearance. T. samae was discovered in an area of the world known as the Coral Triangle, which contains an abundance of coral reefs and marine life that are presently endangered due to overfishing and pollution. The discovery of unknown organisms here indicates that species are dying out before they are even identified, the researchers write.