"Star Wars" at the ocean's bottom: scientists have opened a new coral and called it a crested (photo)

To spread: near the Hawaiian islands, researchers have discovered a new kind of coral. He struck them with his unusual appearance - and he also got an unusual name. A new kind was called Cubakka - because this character of "Star Wars" became famous for his fluffy, writes iflscience. com. Coral also looks like.

"The first glance at him was unforgettable," recalls the Honorary Professor of the University of Hawaiian Islands Manoa Les Wotling, "his long, flexible branches and form immediately reminded me of Chubakk. " Interestingly, the characteristic "fluff" is just branches of coral departing from his "body". Coral belongs to the genus Iridogorgia - a group of deep -water corals known for their long spiral structures.

By the way, such corals also greeted near the Mariana depression - the most deep -water among all known aquatic geographical objects. Like all corals, iridorgies are actually colonies of thousands of small polyps. They live and work together, forming one large structure. Some corals even gather in "flocks", but about "crested", then he is rather an individualist: usually he grows alone, and his fluffy branches spit the ocean bottom.

In addition to "Iridogorgia Chewbacca", if you adhere to scientific terminology), besides it, the researchers of the ocean have discovered another new species of coral, called Iridogorgia Curva. Focus also reported that a "microscope" suitcase was lowered to the seabed. Now scientists hope that they will finally be able to solve the hidden biology of corals. Earlier, it became known that 84% of coral reefs were injured in the worst case of discoloration on earth in history.