8,000 People Named This Deep-Sea Creature Online

A weird little creature living nearly three miles beneath the ocean surface just became the first deep-sea species named by thousands of strangers online.

Scientists discovered the rare chiton (a type of armored mollusk) in 2024 at the bottom of the Izu-Ogasawara Trench near Japan. After it starred in a popular YouTube science video, researchers invited the public to help choose its official scientific name. The response was overwhelming.

More than 8,000 naming suggestions poured in from around the world in just one week. People got creative, proposing everything from references to Japanese films to descriptions of the creature's starlike patterns.

The winning name? Ferreiraella populi, Latin for "of the people." Eleven different participants independently suggested the same name, making the choice feel even more fitting.

The creature itself is fascinating. It has eight separate shell plates that let it curl into a protective ball, plus an iron-clad tongue for scraping food. Perhaps strangest of all, a small group of worms lives near its tail, feeding on its waste.

Chitons like this one are extremely rare specialists that survive only on sunken wood in the deep ocean. They're part of ecosystems we barely understand, living in complete darkness at depths up to 7,000 meters.

Why This Inspires

Getting a new species officially named usually takes 10 to 20 years. Ferreiraella populi was discovered in 2024 and named by early 2026, thanks to the Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance's streamlined process and public engagement.

"This is crucial for the conservation of marine diversity, especially in light of threats it faces such as deep-sea mining," says Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart, who led the naming effort. Speed matters because many ocean species disappear before scientists even realize they exist.

The project shows how science can open its doors without losing rigor. Thousands of people who might never have thought about deep-sea mollusks now feel connected to ocean conservation. They helped write a small piece of scientific history.

When the internet comes together around something hopeful, it reminds us that curiosity and wonder can unite people across continents. A tiny creature from the darkest depths of the ocean brought light to thousands of people worldwide.