Scientists exploring seamounts off the coast of Costa Rica have discovered a new coral so genetically and morphologically distinct that it required the creation of an entirely new family for its classification. Bright yellow and tree-like, the coral was found growing some 360 to 529 meters (1,180 to 1,735 feet) beneath the surface of the Pacific. The discovery is described in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

Scientists exploring seamounts off the coast of Costa Rica have discovered a new coral so genetically and morphologically distinct that it required the creation of an entirely new family for its classification. Bright yellow and tree-like, the coral was found growing some 360 to 529 meters (1,180 to 1,735 feet) beneath the surface of the Pacific. The discovery is described in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

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