Scientists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have discovered more than 5,000 different animal species in the Clarion-Clipperton deep-sea region at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. This vast area is located at a depth of about 6 kilometers between Hawaii and Mexico.

Biologists have been actively exploring this area with the help of deep-sea instruments for several years. This may be because it is rich in cobalt, nickel and other minerals and soon mining companies will be at their disposal. And this will inevitably lead to a change in the fauna.

The researchers state that 90% of the animals discovered have never been seen or studied before. Most of them don’t even have names. And many local residents are not common anywhere else. Only six species were seen in other areas, including the “predatory sponge” and the “sea cucumber”.

Scientists have already named the “marmalade squirrel” and “glass sponge” among the new creatures, which have a long tail and a jelly-like body. Mainly arthropods, worms and echinoderms live here.