Colorful new species discovered in the Philippines

More than 300 species that are likely new to science were discovered by researchers from the California Academy of Sciences and the University of the Philippines during an expedition which lasted for more than a month last spring in Luzon, Philippines. Among the organisms found were a number of new insects and spiders, more than 50 colorful new sea slugs and several deep-sea armored corals.

Here are a few of them:

A new species of Nembrotha nudibranch (a.k.a sea slug) found during the California Academy of Sciences' 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition.| Photo: Terry Gosliner, California Academy of Sciences

Another new species of sea slug with the scientific name of Aeolid nudibranch | Photo: Terry Gosliner, California Academy of Science

A new species of Oxynaspididae barnacle living symbiotically on a black coral. | Photo: Terry Gosliner, California Academy of Sciences

A possible new species of Echinothrix (sea urchin) which has a distinctive red color that differentiates it from the more brownish, white-banded Echinothrix calamaris. | Photo: California Academy of Sciences

Two swell sharks. These new species inflate their stomach with water to scare off predators. | Photo: Stephanie Stone, California Academy of Sciences