Underwater mountain yields 20 new species

About 900 miles off the coast of Chile, scientists have discovered an underwater mountain home to "pristine ecosystems" they believe host at least 20 previously unknown species.
The team mapped a 1.9-mile tall seamount, which is part of the Nazca Ridge, an underwater mountain range in the southeast Pacific Ocean.
The potentially new species, which have yet to be officially confirmed, include a sea urchin, starfish and a squat lobster. The findings will be submitted to the Ocean Census, which promotes the discovery of new marine species. Full species identification can take several years.
The researchers also documented rare sightings of the delightfully named Casper octopus and flying spaghetti monsters, and captured footage of a live squid that had only previously been studied from a few dead samples.
The discoveries are the result of a 28-day expedition to the understudied Nazca Ridge, led by Schmidt Ocean Institute. Before this mission, the height and the exact location of the mountain range weren't known, researchers told ABC News.
New technology allowed researchers to study the craggy depths with greater accuracy than previously possible. Researchers used a remotely operated vehicle named SuBastian to gather images to map the seafloor.
With cutting-edge technology, including remotely operated vehicles and sonar-based mapping, the scientists encountered massive chemosynthetic clam beds and otherworldly creatures, like a glowing anglerfish and a dazzling polychaete worm.
Only 26% of the seafloor has been mapped with such high resolution, said Schmidt Ocean Institute’s executive director Jyotika Virmani in a news release.
The Institute’s two prior expeditions to Nazca and the adjoining Salas y Gómez Ridge, in January and February, led to the discovery of 150 previously unknown species.