The creatures were found off the coasts of California

Nov 19, 2013 16:07 GMT  ·  By

A study conducted off the coasts of California demonstrates that we indeed known very little about the creatures living in the world's oceans. A team of experts was able to identify an entirely new species of crustaceans, which they named Liropus Minusculus, due to their small body size. 

The research was led by scientists at the University of Seville, in Spain, and colleagues at the Museum of Natural History, in Canada. Details of the investigation appear in the latest issue of the esteemed scientific journal Zootaxa, in a paper authored by expert José Manuel Guerra García.

“This new species presents differences relative to other examples of the same genus in the dorsal protuberances on its body, as well as in its legs, pincers and abdomen,” the team leader says.

He adds that the males of the new species measure just 3.3 millimeters (0.129 inches), while the females do not exceed 2..1 millimeters (0.082), AlphaGalileo reports.

According to ocean scientists, we have discovered just 5 to 10 percent of all the creatures living in the sea. Global surveys will most likely continue to yield new species every year for decades to come.