Scientists Announce 2011's Top Ten New Species

Having inhabited the earth for millions of years, one would think that we have found almost every living creature there is. That apparently, is not the case - Not only do we find thousands of new species every year, scientists estimate that there are over 10 million, still waiting to be discovered.

To highlight some of the most unusual ones, an international panel of specialists, led by University of Wisconsin's Dr. Mary Liz Jameson, publishes a list of the top ten that are selected from the thousands of submissions received each year. And, while they are dubbed 2011's top ten, they are actually species found in the previous year. Here is a sample of the one's that made this year's list.

The Louisiana Pancake Batfish (Halieutichthys intermedius)

This pancake like creature with bulging eyes was discovered in the eco-rich Louisiana marshland by Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty, a fish biologist and assistant professor at the Louisiana State University, while on a deep-sea trawl in 2010.

The tiny fish spend most of their time on the sandy bottom of the gulf. They move by pushing off the floors with their foot-like fins and then flap their tails as they hop across the sand. While the professor was able to gather three specimens, he and other experts are not sure how many of these fish are around - especially, post the Gulf oil spill.

Darwin's Bark Spider (Caerostris darwini)

Discovered last year in Madagascar, this spider is capable of building some of the largest webs known to scientists - Ones that span entire rivers, streams or lakes. Not only that, they are twice as tough as the ones spun by normal spiders.

Eternal light mushroom (Mycena luxaeterna)

Discovered in a forest habitat near Sao Paulo, Brazil, this bioluminescent mushroom, lights up to a yellow-greenish light thanks to its gel-covered stems. What makes it extra special is that it is one of only 71 of the 1.5 million species of fungi known to scientists that has this capability and, it is one of the most striking ones. Researchers are currently trying to figure out how and why this mushroom developed this unusual ability.

Pollinating Cricket (Glomeremus orchidophilus)

Crickets are normally known to eat flowers - However, this wingless insect that has a long antenna and measures between 2- 3cm in size, acts as a pollinating agent - And not just for any flower, but a rare orchid that can be found only on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean.

The researchers discovered this cricket while they were trying to figure out how the Angraecum Cadetii orchid was being pollinated. Thanks to its long nectar spur (tube that holds the nectar), they knew it could not be the normal pollinators, but someone with a long antenna. By placing a night vision camera, they were able to catch these crickets in action.

What is even more interesting, is that unlike most crickets that find a different spot to hide, after they are done eating, the Pollinating Cricket is smart enough to navigate its way back to its nest and then return to the orchids every day to resume its work. This is fortunate, given that they are the only pollinators for this orchid.

Golden Spotted Monitor (Varanus bitatawa)

While the locals in Luzon Island , Philippines have known about this frugivorous lizard for many years, it was a totally new discovery for biologists. The brightly colored reptile that sports stripes of gold flecks can grow to more than 6.6ft. in length and weigh up to 22lbs. It has been able to avoid being discovered because it spends most of its time atop trees.

Also included in the top ten is a jumping cockroach, a leech, an underwater mushroom and tiny iron-oxide eating bacteria. To read about them in detail, go to species.asu.edu/Top10.

Resources:species.asu.edu, BBC.co.uk, cnn.com