Holotype of deep-sea brittle stars. /Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, CAS
Multiple new species and new records of deep-sea brittle stars from the South China Sea and the Northwest Pacific Ocean have been found by the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and its partner.
Researchers identified 36 brittle star species from different orders, families and genera among samples collected by China's deep-sea manned submersible "Deep Sea Warrior" from scientific expeditions between 2016 and 2021.
Seven were new species of brittle stars and 15 were new records that provide data for further understanding of deep-sea brittle star biodiversity.
Some 2,100 species of brittle stars are known to exist. They are the most common echinoderms but are rarely seen as many live at the bottom of the sea or attached to corals and are more active at night. They are related to sea stars, but belong to a different class.
Studies by the researchers were published in ZooKeys and the European Journal of Taxonomy. (CGTN)
Prof. HU Guangwan, current curator of the Herbarium of Wuhan Botanical Garden, initially found an unusual kind of Impatiens in Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, southwestern Yunnan, in 2007. After several years of study, no proper scientific name had been found for it. In 2011, another field survey was carried out especially for this plant in the place where Dr. HU found it for the first time and its neighboring areas. Adequate specimens and research materials have been collected in this survey. Micro-morphological characters of pollen grains and seeds using SEM were presented for detailed comparison in addition to morphological studies.
Zoologists have identified two new species during a survey on wild land animals in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, according to the regional forestry authorities. The researchers found a new type of Pallas pit viper in Jilung County and a new type of cascade frog in Zayu County. They were named after the location of their discovery.
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