New Golden Tree Coral Species Discovered Off Costa Rica Creates Entirely New Family
Deep Pacific Seamounts Reveal an Unclassified Golden Octocoral
In the twilight depths of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Costa Rica, scientists have discovered a vibrant yellow octocoral so anatomically and genetically distinct that researchers had to establish an entirely new family on the tree of life. Growing at depths between 360 and 529 meters, the organism forms dense, tree-like colonies that can grow more than a meter in height and 1.2 meters wide. The discovery was documented in the journal ZooKeys.
The Tech TL;DR:
- Researchers discovered a brand-new octocoral family, Laurinqueidae, in Pacific waters off Costa Rica.
- Initial genetic markers failed to classify the organism, forcing scientists to use phylogenomic analysis across hundreds of genes.
- The deep-sea coral creates complex three-dimensional habitats that support regional biodiversity in low-oxygen environments.
Dives Aboard Research Vessels Document the Golden Discovery
The specimens were initially encountered during deep-sea expeditions in 2019 and 2023. Operating from the research vessels Falkor and Falkor (too) operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, researchers utilized the remotely operated vehicle SuBastian to survey seamounts near Cocos Island and along Costa Rica’s Pacific margin. Odalisca Breedy of the University of Costa Rica described first encountering the site in 2019, noting the striking landscape of branching yellow colonies rising from a seafloor covered in pink brittle stars.
Phylogenomic Analysis Resolves Conflicting Genetic Markers
Classifying the specimen proved exceptionally difficult during initial laboratory work. When scientists sequenced three standard genes commonly used to identify corals, each marker pointed toward a different, unrelated family. To resolve this genetic contradiction, the research team—led by Breedy—turned to phylogenomics. By comparing hundreds of genetic regions simultaneously, the analysis confirmed that the coral represents a distinct evolutionary lineage most closely related to Eunicellidae, yet different enough to justify the new family Laurinqueidae and the new genus Laurinque.
Tolkien-Inspired Nomenclature Reflects Deep-Sea Landscapes
The researchers named the new genus Laurinque, derived from the word Laurinquë, which means “golden tree” in Quenya, an Elvish language created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The species name elenya means “stellar” or “of the stars,” chosen to describe the dense clusters of pink brittle stars blanketing the rocky outcrops around the base of the golden colonies.
Golden Coral Gardens Provide Vital Deep-Sea Shelter
These golden coral gardens inhabit waters with temperatures ranging between 8 and 11 degrees Celsius and extremely low oxygen levels. Such three-dimensional structures provide vital shelter and feeding habitats for other deep-sea organisms in challenging environments. While the confirmed population centers around Costa Rica, researchers note that possible sightings of the same or closely related structures have been reported off the coast of Panama and the Galápagos Islands, though those observations are unverified.