New glowing shark, tiny crab discovered in deep sea

Technology Oct 29, 2025

CSIRO scientists uncovered two new underwater species during a 2022 expedition near Western Australia—a glowing lanternshark and a tiny porcelain crab—showing there's still so much to explore in the ocean.

Lanternshark glows thanks to special spots on its belly

The West Australian Lanternshark, about 40cm long, glows thanks to special spots on its belly and sides and lives deep in Gascoyne Marine Park.
The porcelain crab, only 15mm long, hangs out with sea-pen corals near Ningaloo Reef and survives by filtering plankton.

Up to 600 more species could be waiting to be

These discoveries are just the start—almost 20 new marine species from that trip have now been described, and scientists think up to 600 more could be waiting.
It's a reminder that exploring the deep sea helps us understand our planet's hidden life.