‘Translucent’ creature with ‘oral tentacles’ found off China coast is new species
Off the east coast of China, researchers discovered an unusual spiky creature feeding on a jellyfish-like species called a hydroid. In recent years, similar specimens were recorded in that region of the Yellow Sea, but never identified.
Now, researchers have confirmed all 10 creatures belonged to a new species of sea slug, according to a study published June 18 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
Pseudobornella qingdaoensis, or the Qingdao sea slug, is described as being about an inch and a half long, which researchers called “large.”
Its body is “translucent yellow to dark brown, with numerous scattered orange to brown spots and white blotches,” according to the study.
It has a “wide” pale pink foot and four to five “oral tentacles,” or sensory appendages, used for food foraging, according to researchers.
The species is distinct for its “remarkably” long sheath covering its sensory nose-like organs called rhinophores, researchers said.
It is the first species in the Pseudobornella genus discovered in 93 years, according to the study.
The Qingdao sea slug is currently only known from the Yellow Sea, but may also be present in the waters off Japan, the study said.
The species was discovered in Qingdao in China’s Shandong Province, a 405-mile drive southeast from Beijing.
The research team included Shuqian Zhang and Juhao Wang.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 11:02 AM with the headline "‘Translucent’ creature with ‘oral tentacles’ found off China coast is new species."
