Scientists discover a giant deep-sea shell nearly 6 kilometres beneath the Pacific and name it after a ‘sea god’

Buried deep within the depths of the Pacific Ocean lies an incredible discovery of a huge limpet that survives at an extraordinary depth of 5,922 meters below water. Bathylepeta wadatsumi, the new species of marine snail, was discovered in the process of clinging to volcanic rocks, and this discovery was made by scientists of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), who used the manned submersible Shinkai 6500. The discovery of the new species has set another record since this is the deepest species of the limpet to be discovered so far. The name Wadatsumi is derived from the name of the sea god of Japan and interestingly a character in the famous manga series 'One Piece.'The finding occurred about 500 kilometres southeast of Tokyo while exploring rocky areas in the abyssal Pacific Ocean. This time, unlike earlier samples collected using dredging techniques, scientists could study the limpet in its habitat.Based on the research conducted and reported in the book titled 'Life in the Abyss: Exploring Microbial Diversity and Adaptation in theDeep Sea,' this particular species belongs to the subclass Patellogastropoda, which is commonly referred to as true limpets. Apart from the unusual depth, what amazed scientists was the size of the animal. The limpet can grow up to a maximum shell length of 40.5 mm.As part of their explanation on why human exploration of the deep sea is essential, the lead authors stated: "Even in an age of remote operations, there’s often something to be said for the human eye on the seafloor."In the above statement, one can see the increasing realisation among marine biologists that human-operated submersibles are important in discovering species in some of the most unexplored environments on earth.Apart from scientific relevance, the species name also has some cultural meaning behind it. "Wadatsumi" is the name of the sea god according to Japanese folklore, as well as the giant fish-man character in the popular manga series ONE PIECE. According to Pensoft, researchers confirmed the oddity of the organism's size was an inspiration for the name.The limpet survives by grazing on layers of sediment that lie on the surface of volcanic rocks. According to researchers, it can help with the cycling of nutrients in abyssal ecosystems due to its peculiar eating habits.In addition, findings of such an unexpected discovery indicate that rocky abyssal ecosystems host many more species than one could have thought before. As the mentioned area of the ocean is rather hard to explore, many organisms inhabiting it are yet to be studied.According to researchers, the discovery proves that not everything is known about abyssal zones yet. In the article, the creators of ONE PIECE were also thanked for the inspiration.According to researchers at JAMSTEC, Japan, previously, marine biologists have relied largely on trawling equipment to study organisms living in the deep parts of the sea. Nonetheless, such an approach usually causes damage to the delicate nature of such organisms and disrupts their habitat. The discovery of the Bathylepeta wadatsumi in its natural habitat gave the researchers more insights about the nature and survival mechanisms of the species.The discovery also serves to prove that there are many other organisms existing in the deep parts of the oceans that are yet to be explored. From unusual fish to heat-loving microbes, every research expedition uncovers a variety of species that seem to be adapted to harsh environmental conditions.The current threats caused by climate change and deep-sea mining call for further studies into such remote areas of the ocean to aid in the preservation of their integrity.As scientists explore deeper into the deep parts of the sea, aided by high-tech underwater vehicles, Bathylepeta wadatsumi might only be the tip of the iceberg regarding other secrets lying at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.