Marine biology discovered a new organism. Antarctica is home to a sea based species known as promachocrinus fragaris. The recent detection reveals there is more work to be done in the fields of zoology and marine biology. The common name for this creature is the Antarctic strawberry feather star. Promachocrinus fragaris has what appears to be 20 tentacle like structures. Zoologists sometimes call them arms. The nubs on its body do resemble fruit in shape. Hence why it was given the name. The morphology of this organism has evolved for ocean floor travel. The body of this organism contains cirri. The cirri are circular like bumps on its body. The structures have small claws which enable promachocrinus fragaris to grip to the seafloor. The sea lifeform falls under the class Crinoidea. Starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and sand dollars are a part of this class. The unusual aspect of the organisms morphology is the number of appendages. Most feather stars have 10, while promachocrinus fragaris has 10 more. The reason it took so long to detect this animal was due to location. The promachocrinus fragaris was found 1.7 km (3, 840 ft) below the surface. According to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography finding new species is common. The challenge is classifying them correctly and giving formal names. The ocean remains a mystery and the nature of the seafloor is more complex than previously thought. Various types of fish, starfish, and completely different organisms could reside on the seafloor. Barriers prevent humankind from fully reaching that area. The possibility does remain that new species are emerging, but have not been discovered. The promachocrinus fragaris is an invertebrate, but little is known about its physiology. Overtime, more information will be collected allowing for a deeper understanding of deep sea lifeforms.
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