In October 2026, an international team of scientists described two new species of deep-sea siphonophores. Their acquaintance with researchers began with various encounters — underwater footage, museum specimens and genetic analysis.
Thus the ocean revealed two more facets of its diversity.
Two new names for the inhabitants of the deep
16 October 2026 in the journal Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society a study of siphonophores of the genus Bargmanniawas published. Its authors are scientists from the University of Gdańsk, New York University and Yale University, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).
The team described two species previously unknown to science:
- Bargmannia marlena — with bright orange digestive parts;
- Bargmannia pyrosa — with a deep red body.
The first species was named in honor of Marlena, the mother of researcher Maciej Mańko — of the lead author of the study. Now her name is linked to an inhabitant of the deep ocean.
Many parts — one living system
Siphonophores belong to the group of hydroid organisms. They are related to jellyfish and corals, although their form and structure may be completely unlike our familiar image of a marine animal.
Their body is formed from many interconnected specialized units — zooids. They differ in structure and perform different functions within the colony.
In Bargmannia movement is created by numerous swimming bells. Their coordinated contractions propel the entire colony through the water. Nearby are structures associated with feeding and other aspects of its life.
To observe such a creature is to see interaction in motion. The different parts retain their own characteristics and together sustain the life of the whole.
Depth as a space of diversity
To make sense of the diversity of Bargmannia, the researchers brought together several sources of knowledge.
They studied the structure of museum specimens, analyzed genetic material and examined recordings made by MBARI submersibles in the natural environment. This approach helped reveal differences between animals that had previously been difficult to identify with confidence.
One of the interesting conclusions concerns habitat space. Different species of Bargmannia may occur in the same geographic regions, but more often occupy different depths.
When we look at a map of the ocean, it shows the surface. For its inhabitants, space also unfolds vertically: with depth, pressure, illumination and other living conditions change.
The research helps us see the ocean in greater depth. Its diversity unfolds in its breadth and in its depths.
It is especially fascinating to look closely at the movement of the colony. Each contraction becomes part of a shared rhythm, thanks to which the animal moves through its ocean environment.
What did these encounters add to our vision of the ocean?
Two new names — and two new invitations to become acquainted with life.
Creatures that long remained beyond our attention continued to live in the depths, interacting with their environment. Now we have the opportunity to see them more clearly and to complete the map of ocean diversity.
In this story, science and observation remind us of the beauty of coherence. The different parts of a single system reveal their capabilities in interaction, creating movement and sustaining the life of the whole.
The ocean continues to reveal itself — and each such encounter expands our understanding of how many remarkable forms of life already resound in the shared space of the planet.
