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Scientists aboard the RV Investigator collected 6,000 fish and 80,000 invertebrates from extinct underwater volcanoes up to 3,600 meters deep in the Coral Sea Marine Park. Among the findings, a blind pale catshark adapted to total darkness.
The Tasmantid Seamount Chain, an underwater mountain range off Australia’s east coast, revealed 110 new species of fish and invertebrates during a 35-day expedition.
The information was published by CSIRO in April 2026.
According to the Ocean Census–CSIRO mission, the RV Investigator traversed the southern and eastern Coral Sea Marine Park between 200 and 3,600 meters deep.
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According to the report, 6,000 fish and 80,000 invertebrates were collected. In parallel, more than 120 species were identified as new to science.
Tasmantid Seamount: the blind pale catshark
The most talked-about find is a pale, blind deep-sea catshark. According to Ocean Census, it is an entirely new species of the genus Apristurus.
In fact, the shark lives at depths of up to 12,000 feet (3,600 m). In other words, in absolute darkness, without any sunlight.
In parallel, skin pigment is practically absent. Consequently, the animal appears almost translucent.
In turn, the eyes are small and non-functional. According to the team, the catshark relies on other senses to orient itself.
RV Investigator: Australia’s floating laboratory
The RV Investigator is CSIRO’s oceanographic research vessel. According to the agency, it has been operating in the South Pacific since 2014 with a multidisciplinary scientific crew.
According to the IN2025_V06 flight plan, the campaign lasted 35 days between October and November 2025.
In parallel, the ship carries remote submersibles with a capacity of up to 3,600 meters. Consequently, it was able to collect samples from the main elevations of the mountain range.
According to public data, the RV Investigator is 94 meters long. In comparison, other international research vessels are between 75 and 110 meters.
The Tasmantid Seamount: extinct volcanoes in the Coral Sea
The mountain range is a series of extinct underwater volcanoes. According to Wikipedia, the chain extends for almost 2,000 km on the Australian plate.
In fact, some peaks rise more than 3,000 meters from the ocean floor. In other words, they are underwater mountains comparable to the Andes in vertical scale.
In parallel, the chain formed over about 60 million years. Consequently, it offers a long geological history of marine evolution.
In turn, this volcanic system was little explored before this mission. According to CSIRO, this was the first modern in-depth investigation of the northern region of the mountain range.
Chimaera, rays, and brittle stars among the finds
In addition to the catshark, the expedition found new species of rays. In parallel, they identified a new chimaera, an ancestral ghostly fish related to sharks.
According to EcoPortal, researchers also saw brittle stars with long arms. These animals move across the seabed with flexible legs.
In other words, they are relatives of starfish with their own locomotion. Consequently, they are rare at depths greater than 2,000 m.
In parallel, crabs, sea anemones, and sponges were collected. In fact, marine life on the flanks of the volcanoes is richer than imagined.
Ocean Census: name 100,000 species in 10 years
Ocean Census is a global initiative by the Nippon Foundation and Nekton. According to the organization, the goal is to name 100,000 new marine species in a decade.
In fact, the Tasmantid mission adds hundreds of new species to the program. In parallel, the South Pacific is one of the regions with the greatest potential for discovery.
According to the team, each new species enters the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) catalog. Consequently, the data is available to researchers worldwide.
Other biodiversity findings appear in parallel. The race for rare minerals on the ocean floor shows another side of marine exploration.
Tasmantid Seamount in numbers
- 110+ new species of fish and invertebrates
- 6,000 fish collected during the expedition
- 80,000 invertebrates in samples
- 200 to 3,600 meters of depth investigated
- 35 days of RV Investigator expedition
- 2,000 km total length of the volcanic chain
In comparison, expeditions in the South Atlantic usually record 20 to 40 new species. On the other hand, the volcanic complex tripled that rate.
See other cases of deep discoveries, such as the Kolumbo submarine volcano in Santorini with 28,000 tremors, which shows that Earth still hides geological mysteries.
What about Brazil? Trindade-Martin Vaz marine reserve
Brazil has its own submarine chains. According to ICMBio, the Vitória-Trindade chain in the Atlantic is 1,200 km long.
According to UFES researchers, the region hosts extinct volcanoes similar to the mountain range. In parallel, the local deep fauna has been studied for less than a decade.
In comparison, Brazil lacks an equivalent to the RV Investigator. On the other hand, Petrobras operates deep ROVs for pre-salt oil fields.
According to analysts, the deep exploration technology used by Petrobras can benefit Brazilian marine science. In parallel, partnerships with CSIRO are already under discussion.
In parallel, Brazilian biologists from the National Museum of Rio are following the results. According to the team, CSIRO’s methodology can be replicated in the Vitória-Trindade chain.
In fact, the Australian expedition crossed six different volcanic points. Consequently, the catalog expands the ecological reference of the South Pacific.
According to marine analysts, the discovery has direct implications for conservation. In parallel, the Coral Sea Marine Park now gains additional argument for expanding protected areas.
Caveat: this submarine chain has more species to discover
According to CSIRO, the 110 new species represent only a fraction of the total. In parallel, thousands of samples are still under analysis in laboratories.
On the other hand, taxonomic confirmation takes time. According to the team, each new species requires morphological description and complete genetic analysis.
Would Brazil have the capacity to map its own Vitória-Trindade chain with the same depth? The case of the mountain range shows what is needed: a dedicated ship, an international team, and a 35-day campaign.
Even so, the Australian Coral Sea now enters the catalog of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Consequently, new missions are already planned for 2027.
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