Researchers conducting underwater surveys near Costa Rica’s seamounts identified a previously unknown coral species with genetic and physical characteristics so distinctive that scientists established an entirely new taxonomic family to classify it. The bright yellow coral, which grows in a branching, tree-like form, was collected during expeditions in 2019 and 2023 at depths between 360 and 529 meters below the Pacific Ocean surface. Some colonies exceeded one meter in height.
Initial genetic analysis proved inconclusive, with three commonly used coral identification genes each suggesting different evolutionary families. Researchers then employed phylogenomics, comparing hundreds of genes simultaneously, which revealed that the species does not belong to any previously recognized coral family. The results indicated the coral represents a distinct evolutionary lineage most closely related to Eunicellidae but genetically and anatomically distinct enough to warrant the creation of the new family Laurinqueidae and genus Laurinque.
The coral received its scientific names inspired by the distinctive environment where it was found. The genus name derives from “Laurinquë,” meaning “golden tree” in Quenya, the Elvish language created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The species name, elenya, means “stellar” in the same language, referencing the dense populations of brittle stars that covered nearby surfaces. Researchers described the deep-sea habitat as an almost mystical landscape.
The discovery adds to a growing list of previously undocumented species found on Costa Rica’s seamounts and underscores the extent to which the deep ocean remains poorly explored despite covering approximately two-thirds of Earth’s surface. Coral gardens like this one are classified as vulnerable marine ecosystems whose complex three-dimensional structures support diverse deep-sea life. The expeditions were supported by the Schmidt Ocean Institute and a National Geographic Society research grant.
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