In a remarkable discovery off the northwestern coast of Africa, scientists have identified a new species of sea creature: the Cabo Verde spoon-nose eel.

This 2-foot-long eel, characterized by its striking “fang-like” teeth, was found during a research expedition in the Cabo Verde Archipelago, as detailed in a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa on May 7, 2025.

The find, reported by the Kansas City Star, highlights the ongoing exploration of marine biodiversity and the surprises still hidden in the ocean’s depths.

The discovery occurred in November 2021 aboard the research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, where an international team of scientists was surveying the fisheries resources, marine biodiversity, and oceanography of the Cabo Verde Archipelago.

During a month-long survey, researchers trawled the waters and caught various fish species, including one adult specimen of what would later be identified as the Cabo Verde spoon-nose eel (Aplatophis zorro).

The creature’s unique features immediately caught the attention of the team, who realized they had stumbled upon something extraordinary.

The Cabo Verde spoon-nose eel measures just over 28 inches in length, with an elongated body, a pointed head, and a short, blunt snout.

Its most striking feature is its “fang-like” teeth, complemented by relatively large eyes and a dark brownish-gray body adorned with white spots on its head.

These physical characteristics, along with its deepwater habitat, distinguish it from other known eel species.

The study notes that little is known about the eel’s lifestyle, but researchers suspect it thrives in deep waters, likely using its formidable teeth to capture prey in the dark ocean depths.

The Kansas City Star reported that the eel was initially overlooked among the haul of marine life brought aboard the research vessel.

It wasn’t until closer examination that scientists recognized its distinct traits, including its unique snout and dental structure, which set it apart from previously documented species.

The name “spoon-nose” reflects the eel’s blunt, spoon-shaped snout, a key identifying feature. This discovery underscores the importance of detailed taxonomic work in uncovering new species, even in well-explored regions like the Atlantic Ocean.

The identification of the Cabo Verde spoon-nose eel adds to the thousands of new species discovered annually, a testament to the vast, unexplored biodiversity of our oceans.

The Kansas City Star also highlighted other recent discoveries, such as a “large” creature with black eyes found at a mine and “cryptic” creatures spotted in Canada, emphasizing the global effort to document new forms of life.

The Cabo Verde eel’s discovery, however, stands out due to its predatory appearance and the intrigue surrounding its deep-sea existence.

This new species was identified through a combination of physical characteristics, including its scale pattern, body proportions, and dental structure, as well as genetic analysis that confirmed at least a 10% divergence from related species.

The research team, as noted in the Zootaxa study, included scientists who meticulously compared the eel to other known marine species to confirm its uniqueness.

The Kansas City Star emphasized the significance of this find, noting that the eel’s deepwater habitat suggests it may have adapted to extreme conditions, a topic that warrants further study.

The discovery of the Cabo Verde spoon-nose eel not only enriches our understanding of marine biodiversity but also highlights the critical role of ongoing oceanic research.

As the Kansas City Star aptly reported, such findings remind us that the ocean continues to reveal its secrets, one extraordinary creature at a time.

Further exploration in the Cabo Verde region and beyond may uncover additional clues about the eel’s behavior, diet, and ecological role, offering a glimpse into the mysterious world beneath the waves.