The “golden orb” at the bottom of the ocean came from a mysterious animal

This species can reach a diameter of 30 cm, and lives at a depth of between 1,600 and 4,000 metres. Their biology baffles specialists because they don’t quite fit the rules that define anemones and corals. Since its discovery, scientists have struggled to classify it, and its evolutionary origin remains uncertain.

Relicanthus daphne It moves across the ocean floor.

‘National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | Office of Exploration and Research (OER)’

Before the study, there was nothing linking the golden orb to the giant anemone. The report explains that the initial examination found convoluted cells – super-specialized cells that only cnidarians (the group of animals made up of anemones, corals and jellyfish) have. This result ruled out the possibility that it was an egg or a biofilm, as initially thought.

The team then sequenced the material’s DNA to search for matches in databases. Complete mitochondrial genomes showed 99.9 percent identity with Relicanthus daphne. Evidence indicated that the orb was part of a rare and poorly documented anemone. However, the remains did not match any known structures of this species or other anemones.

Close-up of the detached epidermis of an anemone.

NOAA Ocean Exploration

To solve the mystery, the researchers revisited a sample collected years ago and studied it again. They found fragments of a multi-layered golden cuticle produced by the anemone around its base. Then they looked at the living specimens and discovered that as they moved along the bottom, R. Daphne It leaves behind this skin, which remains on the rocks until it disintegrates or is buried.