New species of Hydroid discovered in Red Sea

An international team of biologists have discovered a new species of hydroid polyps emitting green fluorescence in the Red Sea.
These species were found during the investigations of the biodiversity of coral reefs of the archipelago Farasan south of the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia.
Key facts

• These hydroid polyps ( also called hydrozoas) are presumably a new species of the genus Cytaeis whose body length reaches 1.5 mm.
• They were found to be emitting green light in association with the gastropod Nassarius margaritifer in the night.
• The new species are living in colonies as garlands of ‘fluorescent lanterns’ and emitting a green glow around the mouth of polyps may attract prey.

Fluorescence: It is a glow of some pigments or proteins under light illumination. It generally fades instantly after the end of the illumination.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2016