Meet the Record-Breaking Deep Sea Snail That Lives 6,000 Meters Below the Surface

Bathylepeta wadatsumi is a record-breaking limpet occupying volcanic rock deep below the surface of the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

If the moniker sounds familiar, it may be because the species was named after “Large Monk” Wadatsumi, a character from the manga show ONE PIECE, thanks to its (relatively-speaking) generous size. Researchers described it for the first time in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution.

This particularly hardy sea snail is notable for its ability to withstand the frigid temps and crushingly high pressure of the deep ocean. It is found 5,922 meters (nearly 20,000 feet) below sea level, making it the deepest any true limpet has been spotted. Indeed, it is this deep-sea habitat that has allowed the limpet to evade human detection for such a long time.

Reaching Habitats with Deep-Sea Diving

Until now, there were two other species from the genus Bathylepeta (B. linseae and B. laevis), discovered in Antarctica and Chile respectively. Specimens have typically been collected in nets that dredge the seafloor, but this was not the case for B. wadatsumi.

The team at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) used DSV Shinkai 6500, a crewed submersible, to observe specimens in their natural habitat. It is the first time an individual from the Bathylepeta genus has been observed in this way, highlighting how technology opens new pathways to hard-to-reach habitats and ecosystems deep below the sea surface.

“Even in an age of sophisticated remotely operated vehicles, there’s often an edge to the human eye on the seafloor,” lead author, Dr. Chong Chen, said in a press release. “Crewed submersibles like Shinkai 6500 let us explore with intention and nuance — spotting lifeforms like Bathylepeta wadatsumi that might otherwise be missed entirely.”

Chen and his team hope that the findings will inspire future explorations of deep-sea habitats using submersibles.

Read More: 99.999 Percent of the Deep Ocean Is Unexplored — Its Secrets Are Key to Understanding Our Planet

Size of the New Creature

B. wadatsumi is like its sister snail, B. linseae. However, the researchers note its second lateral and marginal teeth appear more developed and it is larger in size. Considering the depths at which it was found, Chen and his team say the body size of B. wadatsumi is “remarkable” – it boasts a blue-gray shell up to 40.5 millimeters long. These shells display distinctive white radial streaks that contrast with the snail’s reddish-brown flesh.

The team reported several sightings of B. wadatsumi. One specimen was collected for further analysis. The researchers performed a morphological examination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), DNA barcoding and a phylogenetic analysis, where its genome was compared to other similar species to determine their evolutionary relationship.

The name “wadatsumi” was inspired by the Japanese god of the sea, who is routinely depicted as a dragon, as well as a character in ONE PIECE. The series follows a crew of pirates on their hunt for the treasure “One Piece.” The study’s authors compare the fictional quest to scientific research, stating “the greatest voyages are driven by freedom, camaraderie, and an insatiable thirst for discovery.”

Read More: Spiky, Star-Shaped Creatures Show the Deep Sea Is a "Connected Superhighway"

Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

• Zoosystematics and Evolution. A new large-sized lepetid limpet from the abyssal northwestern Pacific is the deepest known patellogastropod.

Rosie McCall is a freelance writer living in London. She has covered science and health topics for publications, including IFLScience, Newsweek, and Health.