Ctenophore
Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Océano Profundo 2015.
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On the same expedition, at a depth 3,900 meters (12,795 feet), scientists encountered three comb jellies that were different from any known species. The sighting pre-dated sampling operations on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, so collection wasn’t an option. In place of a specimen, the scientists used video captured during the expedition, the only evidence of this animal’s existence, to establish that it was indeed new to science and to formally describe and name it: Duobrachium sparksae. This marked the first time NOAA relied exclusively on video to designate a new genus and species.