Author: admin

Editor’s note: one day we will begin a detailed exploration of ocean worlds other than our own. Hopefully they will be habitable – and inhabited. Given that we still find new life forms on Earth – things which also seem strange by comparison to what has already been discovered, we have along way to go – on this world. As such it make sense to practice the skills of exploration and discover on a world close to us and our tools. In so doing we need to develop some translatable skills that we can apply to the robotic and human exploration of these other worlds. Expeditions and discoveries as describe below still happen. And the more we look, the more we discover.

This story is about the newly-named Advhena magnifica. How are we going to name the new life forms that we discover offworld? Will we use the same Latin-based binomial naming system that is used on Earth, perhaps adapt it with a new prefix or suffix, or pick another language? Or go digital? Something to think about.

Oh yes: It is fun to note that these explorers see the link to astrobiology as well: “In the case of Advhena magnifica, the shape of this sponge is reminiscent of an alien, like in the movies, with what looks like a long thin neck, an elongated head, and huge eyes. Advhena is from the Latin advena, which means alien, but in the sense of visitor, foreigner, or immigrant. Of course we, humans, were the actual visitors to the sponge’s deep-sea home when we found this “magnificent alien.” While we haven’t “officially” given it a common name in our paper, “E.T. sponge” seems to fit.”

---

In a paper published in 2020 , scientists identified and named a new genus and species of sponge: Advhena magnifica. It was sampled and seen during missions in the Pacific on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

On July 25, 2017, while exploring a seamount during an expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, a team of deep-ocean explorers came upon an extraordinary seascape. Dr. Chris Mah of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) dubbed the scene the “Forest of the Weird.” That was due to the diversity of prominent sponges rising up on stalks with their bodies oriented to face the predominant current carrying tiny food particles.

Among the different sponges within this alien-like community was one that could not be missed. Rising high on a stalk, this sponge had a body with two large holes. They’re oddly reminiscent of the large eyes of the alien from the beloved movie, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

Turns out that this wasn’t the first time that scientists exploring via Okeanos Explorer had encountered this unusual sponge. In 2016, while exploring a seamount many miles to the west near the Mariana Trench, a sample of the sponge had been collected. It was sent to the NMNH for long-term care and study by researchers, setting the stage for this exciting—and charismatic—discovery.

We caught up with Dr. Cristiana Castello Branco, a postdoctoral researcher who made the discovery of the “E.T. sponge.” She is studying under the guidance of Dr. Allen Collins, Director of the NOAA Fisheries National Systematics Laboratory located at NMNH.

Cristiana prepares to enter the human occupied vehicle, for a dive. At the time of the sponge discovery, Cristiana was a PhD student at NMNH being supervised by NOAA Fisheries’ Dr. Collins. Image courtesy of Cristiana Castello Branco.

How did you know you’d found a new type of sponge?

It is a long process between when we first see a specimen and when we can give it a name. While we know very little about deep-sea sponges, we do know they are very abundant, so chances are often good that we will find new species. But to know you found a new one, you need to analyze the skeletal elements of the sponge, called spicules, in the lab using powerful microscopes. The types of spicules and how they are organized in the body vary across different types of sponges, and the spicules are what we use to make identifications. But on top of that, we have to compare what we see to all the known species of a particular genus to find out if it is known or new to science.

For the “E.T. sponge,” I had started my studies with Allen by analyzing some specimens from the Atlantic region. I also decided to examine specimens from other parts of the world that were closely related to taxa I was describing in my thesis. Among these samples, I found a couple representatives of the glass sponge family Bolosomidae, including a big and beautiful sponge with an alien-shaped body. At first, I thought it would be a new species of Bolosoma (a genus I’d been working on during my thesis). Once I began to examine the sponge’s spicules, I realized that they were not the same as those from any known species.

Scientists used a powerful scanning electron microscope (SEM) to get the detailed image on the left of the sponge’s spicules; in the image, the spiky tips of the spicule are about 20 micrometers across. Because sponge spicules are delicate and sometimes not complete, SEM imagery is often supplemented with scientific illustration. The illustration on the right shows the same spicules, drawn by Nick Bezio. As part of the completion of his degree in Scientific Illustration at California State University, Monterey Bay, Nick did an internship with Allen at NMNH. SEM image courtesy of Cristiana Castello Branco; illustration by Nick Bezio.

How did you choose the scientific name, Advhena magnifica, for this new sponge?

The scientific name for a new animal is always Latin or Greek. We usually try to associate the name to something unique about that species, or we can honor someone, the expedition name, or a locality.

In the case of Advhena magnifica, the shape of this sponge is reminiscent of an alien, like in the movies, with what looks like a long thin neck, an elongated head, and huge eyes. Advhena is from the Latin advena, which means alien, but in the sense of visitor, foreigner, or immigrant. Of course we, humans, were the actual visitors to the sponge’s deep-sea home when we found this “magnificent alien.” While we haven’t “officially” given it a common name in our paper, “E.T. sponge” seems to fit.

Like all biologic samples collected during Okeanos Explorer expeditions, the “E.T. sponge” collected in 2016 was archived in the collections of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. In this image of the collected sample, the two holes of the sponge that give it an alien appearance are clearly visible. These holes, termed oscules, serve as openings out of which the sponge pumps water. The sponge is covered in even tinier pores where the water is drawn into the sponge. Bacteria and other small prey are captured in small chambers and the water is pumped out through a complex of canals and ultimately straight out of the oscules. Image courtesy of NMNH.

What is the significance of discovering a new genus and species?

Discovering new species of deep-sea sponges is fairly common, and while the group is very diverse, we still know very little about it. We don’t even know how many species we still have to discover in the deep ocean, but it is a big number. So, chances for new discoveries are good.

When we find a new genus or species, we are helping to describe our planet’s marine biodiversity. That term refers to the variety of living organisms in the ocean, from bacteria and fungi to invertebrates and fish, all the way to marine mammals and birds. All of these organisms are intricately connected. By documenting and describing marine biodiversity, we are building a better understanding of life and the impact of humans on Earth (in this case, in the ocean).

Also, a description of a new genus just emphasizes how little we know about the deep sea and deep-sea sponges.

What role does the newly discovered sponge play in the ecosystem?

Sponges are one of the most diverse and abundant groups of organisms on the bottom of the ocean, and they have huge impacts in the marine ecosystem. Many are large and provide structure in and around which other organisms live. Sponges are filter-feeding animals capable of maintaining the balance of micro flora and fauna and have important roles in transforming nitrogen and carbon in the ocean. As sessile (attached) animals, they defend themselves by producing chemical compounds that may be useful in treating human diseases. As such, the study of deep-sea sponge biodiversity provides a necessary basis for future environmental management decisions as well as bio-prospecting studies.

How did you get into this line of work? Do you have any advice for young people interested in being a zoologist who discovers new species?

When I was an undergrad, I started to work with sponges as an intern at Universidade Federal da Bahia in Brazil. It was an opportunity to work on the scientific collection of the university, and I fell in love with sponges then. After that, I followed with a master’s degree and then I studied deep-sea sponges during my Ph.D. work at Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

As for advice for young people, apply for internships and try to figure out what most gets your attention and love. It is not that easy, but as long as you are doing what you really enjoy, it is worth it.

Astrobiology, Oceanography,

A beautiful turquoise‑and‑lilac sea creature that has been kept in hobbyist aquariums around the world for nearly two decades has finally been given a scientific species name.

The modest crustacean hiding in plain sight turns out to be Cherax pulverulentus, an entirely new crayfish species no biologist had cataloged until now.

Jiří Patoka of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and an international team realized the oversight while inspecting a shipment of Indonesian pets in 2023.

Their detective work now ends years of speculation about the animal’s identity in the scientific community worldwide.

Meet Cherax pulverulentus

Ever since the early 2000s, importers have marketed the animal under nicknames such as “Blue Moon” and “Hoa Creek,” labels that lumped several look‑alike species together.

Dealers moved thousands of specimens across Europe, the United States, Japan, and Indonesia, yet museum drawers remained empty of an official voucher specimen.

Collectors recognized the flashy colors, but the mix of hues muddied any attempt to match the pet to known taxa. Without an authoritative description, conservation agencies could not track exports or assess wild harvest pressure.

Field notes hinted that the mystery crayfish came from forested headwaters near Ayamaru Lake in the Bird’s Head Peninsula of western New Guinea.

Border checkpoints rarely scrutinized small ornamental shipments, allowing animals to flow from creeks to storefronts without paperwork.

Cherax pulverulentus has two forms

The research team reports that purple‑form individuals sport turquoise bodies dusted with violet specks. Their joints and tail fans fade to a chalky white, producing an almost pastel appearance that appeals to aquarists.

Blue‑form animals replace those lilac freckles with a deep navy background that drifts toward black around the claws.

Bright orange stripes frame the abdomen and legs, giving the crayfish a stark, two‑tone look unique within the genus.

Patoka and colleagues chose the species epithet pulverulentus, Latin for “covered with dust,” to capture these pinpoint spots.

The name, Cherax pulverulentus, cements the animal’s singular identity and separates it from Cherax pulcher, a close relative described in 2015.

Detective work in the lab

Traditional morphometrics ranked claw shape, eye size, and rostrum length against 38 allied species. DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene then revealed at least 2 percent divergence from every known member of the genus.

“This species has been exploited in the ornamental aquarium trade at least for 21 years,” wrote Patoka in the report. That long tenure outside science underscores how commercial networks can outpace taxonomy.

A second line of evidence came from nuclear 28S sequences that grouped Cherax pulverulentus as a sister lineage to C. pulcher, yet still distinct enough to rule out color morph status.

The dual approach gives regulators a clear diagnostic toolkit should confiscated shipments require forensic identification.

New Guinea streams to aquariums

In the wild, the dusty crayfish digs shallow burrows into sandy streambeds shaded by rainforest canopy. Water temperatures hover near 75°F, oxygen levels stay high, and leaf litter offers both shelter and food.

The Bird’s Head Peninsula ranks as a biodiversity hotspot, yet many of its tributaries remain unsampled by crustacean specialists.

Local fishers collect juveniles during the dry season when water levels drop, a practice that feeds the export pipeline but leaves population trends unknown.

Little is published on the crayfish’s diet, growth rate, or breeding season. Patoka’s team calls for ecological studies that could inform sustainable quotas before demand removes more animals than nature can replace.

Dumping Cherax pulverulentus

During the survey, one dusty crayfish turned up in a thermal spring near Budapest, Hungary, evidence that at least one aquarist released an unwanted pet.

Similar introductions have seeded invasive populations of marbled crayfish and signal crayfish across Europe.

Non‑native crustaceans often carry the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci, the agent of crayfish plague, a disease lethal to indigenous European stocks. Even a handful of carriers can trigger a cascade that empties streams of native fauna.

Thermal refuges give tropical species a foothold in colder climates. Once established, escapees outcompete local detritivores, alter nutrient cycling, and nibble on amphibian eggs, multiplying their ecological footprint.

Why formal naming matters

Legal frameworks that govern wildlife trade, such as CITES, depend on precise species lists.

An unnamed organism cannot be added to an appendix, leaving customs officials powerless to intercept over‑harvested cargo.

Taxonomic clarity also guides aquaculture biosecurity. Without diagnostic characters, hatchery operators may unknowingly mix species, breeding hybrids that compromise genetic integrity in the source range.

What’s next for Cherax pulverulentus?

Patoka’s group urges Indonesian authorities to map the crayfish’s distribution and to monitor harvest volumes.

Citizen scientists photographing stream fauna with location tags could accelerate the search for hidden colonies.

Aquarists can help by buying captive‑bred stock, quarantining new arrivals, and never releasing pets into local waterways.

Responsible hobby practice will allow enthusiasts to enjoy the dusty crayfish’s colors without endangering ecosystems.

The study is published in Zootaxa.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–

Thank you. Listen to this article using the player above. ✖

Researchers have demonstrated a new technique that allows “self-driving laboratories” to collect at least 10 times more data than previous techniques at record speed. The advance – which is published in Nature Chemical Engineering – dramatically expedites materials discovery research, while slashing costs and environmental impact.

Self-driving laboratories are robotic platforms that combine machine learning and automation with chemical and materials sciences to discover materials more quickly. The automated process allows machine-learning algorithms to make use of data from each experiment when predicting which experiment to conduct next to achieve whatever goal was programmed into the system.

“Imagine if scientists could discover breakthrough materials for clean energy, new electronics, or sustainable chemicals in days instead of years, using just a fraction of the materials and generating far less waste than the status quo,” says Milad Abolhasani, corresponding author of a paper on the work and ALCOA Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University. “This work brings that future one step closer.”

Until now, self-driving labs utilizing continuous flow reactors have relied on steady-state flow experiments. In these experiments, different precursors are mixed together and chemical reactions take place, while continuously flowing in a microchannel. The resulting product is then characterized by a suite of sensors once the reaction is complete.

“This established approach to self-driving labs has had a dramatic impact on materials discovery,” Abolhasani says. “It allows us to identify promising material candidates for specific applications in a few months or weeks, rather than years, while reducing both costs and the environmental impact of the work. However, there was still room for improvement.”

Steady-state flow experiments require the self-driving lab to wait for the chemical reaction to take place before characterizing the resulting material. That means the system sits idle while the reactions take place, which can take up to an hour per experiment.

“We’ve now created a self-driving lab that makes use of dynamic flow experiments, where chemical mixtures are continuously varied through the system and are monitored in real time,” Abolhasani says. “In other words, rather than running separate samples through the system and testing them one at a time after reaching steady-state, we’ve created a system that essentially never stops running. The sample is moving continuously through the system and, because the system never stops characterizing the sample, we can capture data on what is taking place in the sample every half second.

“For example, instead of having one data point about what the experiment produces after 10 seconds of reaction time, we have 20 data points – one after 0.5 seconds of reaction time, one after 1 second of reaction time, and so on. It’s like switching from a single snapshot to a full movie of the reaction as it happens. Instead of waiting around for each experiment to finish, our system is always running, always learning.”

Collecting this much additional data has a big impact on the performance of the self-driving lab.

“The most important part of any self-driving lab is the machine-learning algorithm the system uses to predict which experiment it should conduct next,” Abolhasani says. “This streaming-data approach allows the self-driving lab’s machine-learning brain to make smarter, faster decisions, honing in on optimal materials and processes in a fraction of the time. That’s because the more high-quality experimental data the algorithm receives, the more accurate its predictions become, and the faster it can solve a problem. This has the added benefit of reducing the amount of chemicals needed to arrive at a solution.”

In this work, the researchers found the self-driving lab that incorporated a dynamic flow system generated at least 10 times more data than self-driving labs that used steady-state flow experiments over the same period of time, and was able to identify the best material candidates on the very first try after training.

“This breakthrough isn’t just about speed,” Abolhasani says. “By reducing the number of experiments needed, the system dramatically cuts down on chemical use and waste, advancing more sustainable research practices.

“The future of materials discovery is not just about how fast we can go, it’s also about how responsibly we get there,” Abolhasani says. “Our approach means fewer chemicals, less waste, and faster solutions for society’s toughest challenges.”

Reference: Delgado-Licona F, Alsaiari A, Dickerson H, et al. Flow-driven data intensification to accelerate autonomous inorganic materials discovery. Nat Chem Eng. 2025. doi: 10.1038/s44286-025-00249-z

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source. Our press release publishing policy can be accessed here.