“The genus name derives from Zea, reflecting this resemblance to popped kernels of popcorn.”
Researchers formally described 14 new invertebrates from ocean depths ranging from 1 to 6,465 meters, including a parasitic isopod whose females have bumps resembling popcorn kernels. The deepest find was a mollusk from the Aleutian Trench, one of the first in its class to have a high-quality genome published. Scientists estimate 2 million ocean species exist; only 240,000 have been identified. The ocean floor remains more mysterious than the moon’s surface.