Nature & Environment

'Alien-like' life form discovered on sea floor

By T.K. Randall
July 12, 2020 ·  4 comments

This is one strange looking organism. Image Credit: NOAA Resembling an alien-like head attached to a long stalk, this bizarre "ET sponge" was discovered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2.4km beneath the Pacific Ocean.

It was one of many such life forms found approximately 1,300km south-west of Hawaii.

"Rising high on a stalk, this sponge had a body with two large holes oddly reminiscent of the large eyes of the alien from the beloved movie, ET: The Extra-Terrestrial," the NOAA wrote.While the name 'ET sponge' seems to have stuck, its official name is Advhena magnifica.

"We usually try to associate the name to something unique about that species, or we can honour someone, the expedition name, or a locality," said scientist Cristiana Castello Branco.

"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."

"While we haven't 'officially' given it a common name in our paper, 'ET sponge' seems to fit."

Source: Sydney Morning Herald | Comments (4)

Tags: Deep, Ocean