In a recent paper published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, researcher Paulo Bonifácio and his colleague Lénaïck Menot describe a variety of new species of deep-sea worms they found on an expedition to the equatorial Pacific Ocean. On this trip, scientists plumbed the ocean at depths between 13,000 and 16,000 feet (4,000 and 5,000 meters). The sea-worms that live here are hardy, able to withstand enormous pressure. And a few have been named after Game of Thrones characters, who are nothing if not resilient in the face of suffering.
The researchers found 17 new species and four new genuses of sea-worm deep below the ocean surface. The name of one of the genuses, “Abyssara,” is a combination of the Latin word for “bottomless,” abyssus, and Arya, one of Bonifácio’s favorite Game of Thrones characters. Then there’s “Hodor hodor,” a species of sea-worm with no eyes, serrated jaws, and a body made up of 24 segments. We also assume it is loyal, strong, and had its brain broken years ago following a time travel mishap.
Credit: Paulo Bonifácio and Lénaïck Menot/Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Then there’s “Hodor anduril,” which brings in another fandom. You’ve got Hodor from Game of Thrones and Andúril from The Lord of the Rings — that’s the name of Aragorn’s sword.
Basically, the lesson here is that scientists are nerds, which isn’t surprising. Keep it up, everyone.
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h/t Live Science
