A New Deep-Sea Creature Got Its Name From The Internet

Somewhere in the dark, crushing depths of the Pacific Ocean, more than three miles beneath the surface, a small armored creature clings to sunken wood on the seafloor. It has eight shell plates, an iron-reinforced tongue and a tiny entourage of worms that feed on its waste. Now, thanks to a global online campaign that drew more than 8,000 suggestions, it also has a name — one that belongs to all of u

Meet Ferreiraella populi, a newly described species of deep-sea chiton, a type of marine mollusk. Its species name, populi, is Latin for “of the people,” and it was chosen after scientists took the unusual step of inviting the public to help decide what to call it.

The official scientific description of the species was published February 6 in the open-access Biodiversity Data Journal.

Discovered in One of the Ocean’s Deepest Trenches

Scientists first discovered the deep-sea chiton in 2024 in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench off the coast of Japan, at a depth of over 5,500 metres (3.4 miles). The creature belongs to the genus Ferreiraella, a rare group known for living only on sunken wood in the deep sea.

That habitat alone makes the species remarkable. While most people are familiar with marine life found in shallow waters or coral reefs, vast stretches of the ocean floor remain largely unexplored. Creatures that thrive at extreme depths — where sunlight never reaches and pressure is immense — occupy one of the planet’s most inhospitable environments.

The chiton itself is a curious-looking animal. It has eight armoured shell plates and an iron-clad radula, or tongue. According to details of the species revealed in the Biodiversity Data Journal, it also hosts a small group of worms that feed on its excrement near its tail.

A YouTube Video Launched a Global Naming Campaign

The public naming effort began after popular science YouTuber Ze Frank featured the rare chiton in an episode of his “True Facts” series. The Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA), working with scientific publisher Pensoft Publishers and Ze Frank, invited the public to help name the newly identified species.

The response was enormous. Over 8,000 name ideas were submitted through social media, representing a wave of public enthusiasm for a creature most people had never heard of before.

“We were overwhelmed by the response and the massive number of creative name suggestions!” said study author Julia Sigwart from the Natural History Museum Frankfurt, per The Independent.

After reviewing the entries, scientists selected the name Ferreiraella populi. In a striking coincidence, 11 different participants independently suggested the same name during the online process, researchers say. That convergence around a name meaning “of the people” seemed fitting for a species christened through collective effort.

One Runner-Up Had a Studio Ghibli Connection

Among the thousands of entries, another option stood out: Ferreiraella ohmu, a reference to a chiton-like creature from the animated films of Studio Ghibli, the beloved Japanese animation studio. The suggestion provided a nod to Japan, where the species was found.

While the Ghibli-inspired name ultimately was not chosen, its inclusion among the finalists underscored the creativity and cultural range of the submissions.

Why Public Naming Is So Unusual in Science

The campaign was a departure from how new species are typically named. Scientific names are usually assigned by the authors who publish the first scientific description and must follow international rules such as the ICZN (zoology) or the ICN (botany). Epithets — the second part of a two-part species name — are often based on physical traits, locations, mythology, or people honoured for their contributions.

Inviting the public into that process is rare, and the speed with which this particular species was named and described is also notable.

“It can often take ten, if not twenty years, for a new species to be studied, scientifically described, named, and published,” Dr. Sigwart said. “Finding a name for the chiton together on social media is a wonderful opportunity to do just that! Ferreiraella populi has now been described and given a scientific name only two years after its discovery.”

That timeline — from discovery in 2024 to formal publication on February 6 — stands in sharp contrast to the decade or more that naming a species can typically require, according to Sigwart.

The naming of Ferreiraella populi represents more than a fun internet moment. It reflects a growing effort by some scientists to bring the public closer to the process of discovery and classification, which has traditionally taken place behind the walls of museums and research institutions.

By opening the naming process through social media and partnering with a widely followed content creator like Ze Frank, the research team at SOSA and Pensoft Publishers reached an audience far beyond the typical readership of academic journals.