Scientists Finally Identified That Weird Golden Orb They Found in the Deep Sea
By Ashley Fike
Published on April 27, 2026.
In 2023, a remotely operated vehicle called Deep Discoverer discovered a strange golden orb stuck to a rock in the Gulf of Alaska. The scientists spent three years trying to identify the object, which they believe is a cuticle, a thick coating that some anemones secrete from their outer tissue. The discovery led to the discovery of Relicanthus daphneae, a deep-sea anemone first described in 2006, with tentacles that can reach over six feet long. The mystery was resolved through a full genome sequence and a large team of specialists. One theory is that the orb is the result of a failed attempt at asexual reproduction, a process called pedal laceration, where the base of the animal detaches, and the upper portion walks away and the remaining stump regrows into a new animal.
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