Scientists just found the creepy Facehugger from Alien somewhere in Antarctica

Deep in the icy, mysterious waters around Antarctica, where even penguins dare not venture, marine scientists have stumbled upon a creature that seems to have taken inspiration from the nightmares of sci-fi enthusiasts.

The "Antarctic strawberry feather star" sounds like the name of a dessert from an alternate universe, but it's far from sugary. It's an invertebrate that flaunts an uncanny resemblance to those chilling Facehuggers that have terrorised movie screens in the Alien franchise.

Researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, have unveiled a bevy of new species inhabiting this extreme environment. Among these newfound creatures, one stands out with an appearance that evokes both fascination and dread.

Promachocrinus fragarius is a newly discovered species of crinoid with 20 arms. The team which discovered the species said it was dubbed the 'Antarctic strawberry feather star' due to "the resemblance of its body to a strawberry".

[read more: https://t.co/nLvooxoOdv] pic.twitter.com/Lb8wIAT23E

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 13, 2023

The scientists from the Scripps Institution, sporting lab coats instead of space suits, embarked on a mission to untangle the cryptic family tree of marine beings known as Promachocrinus, or Antarctic feather stars. These underwater detectives pored over samples collected during expeditions from 2008 to 2017, revealing a revelation that's making us rethink strawberries forever.

The Antarctic strawberry feather star is a sea creature with 20 so-called "arms" — some bumpy, some feathery — and can altogether be up to eight inches long, Greg Rouse, a marine biology professor at the University of California, San Diego, told Insider. pic.twitter.com/ct8ZBcuTKm

— John (@JohnSod42200821) August 13, 2023

This invertebrate anomaly, formally named Promachocrinus fragarius, defies easy categorisation. The Promachocrinus fragarius isn't your garden variety strawberry. At first glance, it doesn't exactly shout "fruit salad," but if you inspect its body—a tiny nub perched atop its array of arms—you'll notice a peculiar similarity to the size and shape of a strawberry. 

It's like nature tried to outdo itself by putting a dash of horror into its design.This unexpected resemblance brings to mind the parasitic Facehugger creatures that have haunted science fiction enthusiasts ever since Ridley Scott first dropped Alien in 1979.

• These spider-like creatures are a precursor to the iconic Xenomorphs.
• Facehuggers attach themselves to a host's face, implanting an embryo into their throat.
• The embryo later erupts from the host's chest as a full-grown Xenomorph.
• Facehuggers have bony fingers, a long tail, and acidic blood, making them both terrifying and formidable.

The Promachocrinus fragarius is part of the Antarctic feather stars clan, a distant relative to starfish and sea cucumbers. These marine animals are part of the enigmatic echinoderm family, sharing distant connections with well-known creatures like starfish and sea cucumbers. 

Yet, the depths of the Antarctic waters have concealed much of their secrets until now. The researchers' tireless efforts, involving both DNA analysis and scrutiny of body structures, have led to the formal classification of not just one, but a total of eight distinct species within this genus.

But what's really got everyone talking is Promachocrinus fragarius, the standout member of the crew.

• With a "strawberry-like" body and 20 arms that stretch out in all directions, this oceanic oddity is giving a new meaning to the term "fruit cocktail." Imagine swimming alongside something that could easily double as a sci-fi villain.
• It dwells at depths ranging from a shy 215 feet to an impressive 3,840 feet, a place where sunlight fears to tread.
• In this challenging environment, it displays a natural colour palette that spans from a mysterious "purplish" hue to a deep and foreboding "dark reddish" shade. This colour diversity adds to the creature's mystique, underscoring the ‘alien’ nature of its habitat and appearance.

In a paper published in the journal Invertebrate Systematics, the researchers admit that while they've unravelled one underwater riddle, the ocean still holds its cards close. 

🚨 NEW Species !!!!!!! 🐦
Antarctic 🧊 🥶
Strawberry 🍓
Feather Star !!!!! 🪶 ⭐️ ✨✨ 💖 !!!!! 🍓🐦 🐦 🐦 🪶 🧊 🌟 pic.twitter.com/aBHN52UB0y

— Cat (@catatonixxx) August 11, 2023

The discovery of the Antarctic strawberry feather star is a testament to the fact that our planet still harbours enigmas awaiting revelation. As researchers delve deeper into the abyssal depths of the Southern Ocean, the implications of this discovery become clearer.

The creature serves as a poignant reminder that even in our age of advanced exploration and knowledge, there are regions on Earth that remain largely uncharted and teeming with secrets.

So, while the scientific world adjusts its glasses and takes notes, let's all raise a glass to a world that's far more bizarre and imaginative than any sci-fi writer could concoct.