Scientists have recently classified two new species off the coast of Western Australia that are illuminating how little we actually know about life in the deep sea.
The discoveries of a bioluminescent lanternshark and a tiny porcelain crab were made during a 2022 research voyage led by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO. These findings serve as an example of how much biodiversity remains uncharted beneath the waves.
A Glow in the Deep
The first discovery, Etmopterus westraliensis, or the West Australian Lanternshark, was identified by Dr. Will White of the CSIRO Australian National Fish Collection. This small shark was found at ocean depths reaching up to 610 meters in the Gascoyne Marine Park. Its sleek body measures just over 40 centimeters long, with large eyes that are fine-tuned for life in near-total darkness.
“Lanternsharks are bioluminescent,” Dr. White explained, “with light produced by photophores located on their belly and flanks, which is where their common name comes from.” The ability likely helps the shark camouflage itself from predators lurking below through a strategy known as counter-illumination.
The name westraliensis reflects the area of its discovery. This new species of shark is now part of a group that includes the Painted Hornshark and Ridged-Egg Catshark, both identified during the same 2022 research trip. Discoveries such as this broaden our understanding of the diverse deep-sea life off the coast of Australia.
A Hidden Companion
The second species discovered was a porcelain crab named Porcellanella brevidentata. This delicate, opalescent crab measures just 15 millimeters across, as described by Dr. Andrew Hosie of the Western Australian Museum.
“The new species of porcelain crab lives a symbiotic life with sea pens,” Dr. Hosie said, “where they will hide among the ‘leaves’ of the host. Porcelain crabs are known as filter feeders, feeding on plankton by using modified mouthparts with long hairs to sweep the water for small pieces of food such as plankton, rather than the typical crab method of grabbing and pinching food with their claws.”
Additional specimens collected during an earlier CSIRO voyage in 2017 were used to help confirm this crab’s identity. This process demonstrates how archived samples can be utilized in marine science studies years later.
Voyage of Discovery
The Etmopterus westraliensis and Porcellanella brevidentata were both described in a list of new species published by CSIRO in September 2025. Their recent classification adds to the growing list of organisms uncovered from CSIRO’s 2022 voyage of the RV Investigator research vessel. Nearly 20 new species have already been named from that expedition alone, including the Carnarvon Flapjack Octopus announced earlier this year.
The classification of species such as these offers clues to how marine life can adapt to extreme environments through unusual biochemistry and symbiotic behaviors. The study of these unique adaptations could also be used to inform future research in fields such as biotechnology.
Researchers estimate as many as 600 more species from the same voyage still await formal classification. These species could represent new entries in marine taxonomy. The upcoming RV Investigator mission to the Coral Sea Marine Park will employ many of the same researchers from the 2022 expedition and aims to dive even deeper into Australia’s hidden ocean frontier.
Expeditions like these provide direct evidence of how much of the planet’s biodiversity remains undocumented and highlight the importance of the deep sea as a frontier for scientific discovery. White and Hosie’s research shows how every newly identified species deepens our knowledge of global ecosystems.
Their findings also illustrate the importance of continued exploration and the protection of Earth’s least explored environments.
Austin Burgess is a writer and researcher with a background in sales, marketing, and data analytics. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, along with a certification in Data Analytics. His work combines analytical training with a focus on emerging science, aerospace, and astronomical research.