Census of Marine Life scientists with the German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research at the Senckenberg Research Institute, described this new species and genus of the burrower loriciferan, Culexiregiloricus trichiscalida, found at 4,141 metres (2.6 miles) depth in the Atlantic's Guinea Basin south of Cote d'Ivoire, Africa, on the 2005 DIVA 2 expedition.

Loriciferans, affectionately dubbed "girdle wearers" due to their characteristic hind shells resembling a corset, are among the smallest known multi-cellular marine animals.

This is a juvenile stage specimen with a body length is about 1/4 of a millimetre (1/100th of an inch) – roughly the width of three human hairs. The body is filled with granular cells and tissue.

Overall in the oceans, up to a billion microbe species may await identification under the Census, an international 10-year project due for completion in October 2010.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1267127/The-hard-sea-life-Stunning-pictures-nonillion-magical-microbes-ocean.html#ixzz0lqtyqfg0

Photo credit: CoML