New deep-sea species found

A research team has found over 100 new deep-sea animals ranging from ferocious-looking fanged creatures to rubber-like bottom dwellers, near Australia.

A joint Australian-New Zealand research voyage has discovered more than 100 new deep-sea species ranging from ferocious-looking fanged creatures to rubber-like bottom dwellers, officials said on Friday.

Australian Environment Minister David Kemp announced the discoveries, which included many species either unrecognised or new to science.

The voyage was conducted on the New Zealand research ship RV Tangaroa, which for the past month explored underwater mountain ranges and peaks off Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands east of Australia.

The exploration found more than 500 fish species and 1,300 invertebrate species, Kemp said.

'Of these, more than 100 species are unrecognised and many represent species new to science,' he said.

Discoveries included creatures given names like blobfish, prickly dogfish, viperfish, fangtooths, slickheads, giant sea spiders, goblin shrimp and jewel squid.

The haul also included the fossilised tooth of an extinct 'megalodon' -- a shark twice the size of the Great White, according to shark expert Peter Last.

'The tooth had been lying on the seafloor for millions of years before being picked up in a deep-sea bottom sled,' Last said.