California researchers discover mysterious, gelatinous new sea slug

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — More than two decades after spotting a mysterious, gelatinous, bioluminescent creature swimming in the deep sea, California researchers this week announced that it was a new species of sea slug. Scientists with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute using a remote vehicle first noticed what they called a “mystery mollusc” in February 2000 at a depth of 8,500 feet in the Pacific. After reviewing more than 150 sightings of the creature, and studying it in a lab, researchers determined it was a new type of sea slug. It lives in the so-called midnight zone, an area of deep ocean known for frigid temperatures, inky darkness, and crushing pressure.