August 20, 2021: Unknown Animal

While exploring Fina Nagu Caldera C at 2,750 meters (1.7 miles) depth, the team found these spherical white “things” attached to rocks

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas. Download larger version (jpg, 856 KB).

During the first part of the 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition, the science team came across a few things that left them completely stumped. For example, while exploring Fina Nagu Caldera C at 2,750 meters (1.7 miles) depth, the team found these spherical white “things” attached to rocks. On further investigation, they actually seemed more feathery, with branch-like structures that curled onto themselves, so they appeared round.

There was speculation that these are colonies of hydroids or bryozoans, but that isn’t saying much, as those are two totally different phyla (Cnidaria or Bryozoa)! To put that into context, it’s as bad as confusing a monkey (Chordata) with a cockroach (Arthropoda)!

From: What IS That?! Stumping the Scientists!.