Iridogorgia Chewbacca, in motion. Photo: Screenshot
A new species of coral has been discovered in the Pacific Ocean, and University of Hawaii researchers have given it a fun name: Iridogorgia chewbacca. And yes, it is an intentional reference to the eight-foot-tall sidekick from Star Wars by the same name.
According to a report from the university, the species was first spotted off Moloka’i in 2006 and again in 2016. As you can see, it’s a pretty distinct coral, so when a University of Hawaii professor emeritus recognized it while reviewing research from colleagues in China, they set out to confirm that this was in fact a new species. The Iridogorgia refers to a group of deep sea corals with long, spiraling structures. There are currently 14 known species of Iridogorgia, with 12 of them found in the western Pacific Ocean.
This newly acknowledged chewbacca species has been recorded with spiraling structures from 20 inches long (a sample found in the Mariana Trench) to four feet long (the Moloka’i sample).
“Seeing this coral for the first time was unforgettable,” said Les Watling, professor emeritus in UH Mānoa’s School of Life Sciences and co-author of a study published on the species in Zootaxa. “Its long, flexible branches and shape immediately reminded me of Chewbacca. Even after years of deep-sea work, discoveries like this still make me stop and take notice.”
