WASHINGTON — For the first time ever, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, have this week formally identified a new species of undersea creature based solely on high-definition video footage captured at the bottom of the ocean. <br /><br />Duobrachium sparksae — a strange, gelatinous species of ctenophore, was encountered by a remotely operated submersible during a dive off the coast of Puerto Rico in 2015. <br /><br />The creature has not been seen again and might not be encountered again for centuries, says NOAA marine biologist Allen Collins.<br /><br />The rare animal was found almost 4km deep on a deep-sea shelf called the Aricebo amphitheater. <br /><br />Its body is around 6 centimeters long, while its tentacles are around 30 centimeters long. <br /><br />The creature is carnivorous and feeds on small animals and insects. <br /><br />Its gelatinous body is transparent and contains small brushes or cilia that reflect light when they pulsate, making the animal look like a living neon light show. <br /><br />In the short time that scientists observed the three individuals, one of them used its tentacles to anchor it to the sea floor below it.
