Meet the 'sea moth,' a three-eyed sea creature from 500+ million years ago
Meet the 'sea moth,' a three-eyed sea creature from 500+ million years ago The Mosura fentoni, or "sea moth," may have used its third, median eye to detect light and move around its environment.
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Strange and bizarre creature from 506 million years ago discovered
A three-eyed predator 'sea moth' that lived 506 million years ago has been discovered in Canada.
Scientists have discovered a three-eyed "sea moth" that dates back more than half a billion years ago.
Paleontologists Joseph Moysiuk and Jean-Bernard Caron published a study an Wednesday, May 14 that introduces their findings of Mosura fentoni, a new type of radiodont that existed more than 500 million years ago. The "sea moth"-like species caught researchers' attention because of its third, median eye.
Scientists named the newly-discovered species "Mosura fentoni," after the fictional Japanese monster kaiju, also known as "Mothra," for its moth-like appearance, the study states.
Here's what to know about the newly-discovered deep sea creature.
What is Mosura fentoni, the 'sea moth'?
The newly-discovered Mosura fentoni specimen is only about 15 to 61 millimeters long (0.6 to 2.4 inches). The "sea moth" features a short head; small, rounded exoskeleton; three prominent eyes; appendages; large swimming flaps; and densely-packed gills, according to the study. The Mosura fentoni lived during the Cambrian Explosion, which began about 541 million years ago.
The Mosura fentoni was a radiodont, a type of arthropod that lived between 520 to 400 million years ago, according to the United Kingdom's Natural History Museum. A popularly known radiodont is Anomalocaris, thought to be one of the first apex predators.
Paleontologists believe Mosura fentoni hunted small prey, like shrimp, to avoid competing with other radiodonts in its ecosystem, according to the U.K. Natural History Museum. Mosura fentoni would have used rows of paddle-like fins to glide through the ocean and then use hook-like segments of its feeding appendages to grab small pray and move them through its mouth.
Why did Mosura fentoni have a third eye?
While paleontologists are still learning why Mosura fentoni had a third eye, researchers believe the eye may have been used to detect light and the seascape it moved through. Perhaps Mosura fentoni's median eye was similar to that of a dragonfly's extra eyes (yes, dragonflies have five eyes), used to orient themselves during high-speed hunts, according to the U.K. Natural History Museum.
'Sea moth' poses new features from other radiodonts
A feature of the specimen that has particularly intrigued researchers is its dark, reflective patches, which are called "tonguelettes." Though these structures have been interpreted differently over the years, in Mosura fentoni, researchers believe they suggest structures of an open circulatory system, according to the museum. This means that the Mosura fentoni would have pumped a blood-like substance called haemolymph through a series of body cavities.
"Their identity has been controversial, but the well-preserved (body cavities) in Mosura help us to interpret similar, but less clear features that we've seen before in other fossils," Moysiuk told the U.K. museum. "It turns out that preservation of these structures is widespread, confirming the ancient origin of this type of circulatory system."
The Mosura fentoni's densely-packed gills also vary from other radiodonts that researchers have studied. These gills indicate that the species may have lived in more active lifestyle in low-oxygen environments. In fact, the gills resemble the same structure that horseshoe crabs possess, which is called the opisthosoma.
"That's not to say that horseshoe crabs and radiodonts are especially closely related, but it's instead an example of convergent evolution," said paleontologist Greg Edgecombe, per the U.K. Natural History Museum.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
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