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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Some of the strangest recent animal descriptions involve a striped possum once thought extinct, a shrimp named for a fantasy family, and a monkey recognized through its appearance, genetics, and calls. This editorial selection uses the ten-year window from October 7, 2016, through October 7, 2026; it is not a scientific ranking. A species can be described as new to science long after it was collected or observed, and local people may already know it.
Eight unusual animal species and their stories
1. Pygmy long-fingered possum: a rediscovery with an extraordinary digit
The pygmy long-fingered possum (Dactylonax kambuayai) is a boldly striped marsupial from the Vogelkop Peninsula of Indonesian New Guinea. The Australian Museum reports that one digit on each hand is twice as long as the next-longest finger. The species had previously been known from fossils and was thought to have been extinct for thousands of years.
This is a rediscovery and taxonomic identification story, not necessarily an animal first encountered in 2026. Evidence included a museum specimen collected in 1992 and misidentified at the time, photographs, fossil fragments, and local research. Professor Tim Flannery, Australian Museum Distinguished Visiting Fellow, said: “The discovery of one Lazarus taxon, even if thought to have become extinct recently, is an exceptional discovery.”
2. Ring-tailed glider: a New Guinean marsupial with a prehensile tail
The ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis) is a marsupial from remote lowland forest on the Vogelkop Peninsula. The Australian Museum calls it the nearest living relative of Australia’s greater glider and reports that it is the first new genus of New Guinean marsupial described since 1937.
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Its strongly prehensile tail, unfurred ears, and reported tree-hollow nesting make it distinctive. The museum also reports lifelong pair bonds. Its identification drew on evidence including photographs, fossils, and museum material; the description year should not be mistaken for the first time anyone saw the animal.
3. Game of Thrones shrimp: a tiny crustacean from deep water
Greyjoyella mundugalae is a shrimp-like crustacean just 2.5 millimetres long. CSIRO says it was collected off Jervis Bay, New South Wales, at a depth of 3,881–4,026 metres in 2017, then announced as a new species at the end of 2025.
The genus name refers to the Greyjoy family in Game of Thrones; the species name honours Mundugala, a spirit in Australian Indigenous mythology. The collection date falls within this article’s ten-year window, even though the announcement came later.
4. O’Loughlin’s sea cucumber: a soft-bodied seafloor recycler
O’Loughlin’s sea cucumber (Deima oloughlini) has an oval, soft body, 10 main pairs of legs, and around 20 tube-like papillae on its back. CSIRO reports it was found off the Cocos (Keeling) Islands at 1,175–1,896 metres in 2022.
Its unusual body form is not just an appearance story: the animal filters sediment and contributes to nutrient recycling on the seafloor, according to CSIRO.
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5. Painted hornshark: a shark mistaken for a relative
The painted hornshark (Heterodontus marshallae) reaches 600 millimetres, according to CSIRO. Researchers identified and reclassified it after it had been mistaken for a related species.
The holotype—the specimen designated to represent the species—was collected in 2022 in Western Australia’s Gascoyne Marine Park at 210–212 metres. The history is a reminder that a species new to science may already be in collections or confused with a known relative before it is formally described.
6. Darth Vader dwarf goby: a species with a pop-culture namesake
The Darth Vader dwarf goby (Eviota vader) is a newly described dwarfgoby from Papua New Guinea, named after Darth Vader, according to the California Academy of Sciences. The institutional account supports the naming and location, but does not provide enough detail to make broader claims about its appearance or behaviour.
The Academy reported that it described 72 new animal, plant, and fungi species in 2025. That figure covers the Academy’s work, not all species described worldwide.
7. Likweli, or Colobus monkey: a species known to local people
The Likweli, or Colobus monkey (Colobus congoensis), was described in 2026 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yale reports. This small black monkey has orange-cream patches around its mouth and nose. Researchers used physical traits, genetics, and vocalizations to identify it.
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Yale says the species is rare and cryptic, and that local people familiar with it call it “Likweli.” Its recent description as new to science does not mean it was unknown to the people who live alongside it. Yale calls it the fifth new African monkey species discovered in the past 75 years.
8. Tiny blue Galápagos octopus: a striking find outside the strict window
The tiny blue Galápagos octopus (Microeledone galapagensis) is about the size of a golf ball. The Charles Darwin Foundation says a remotely operated vehicle first recorded it near Darwin Island in 2015, at 1,773 metres. Scientists formally described the species in a 2026 paper and used CT scans to examine the rare specimen’s internal anatomy without cutting it apart.
Because its first recorded observation was in 2015, this octopus falls outside the strict October 7, 2016–October 7, 2026 observation window. It is included as a useful example of why “discovered” needs care: formal description and first observation are different events.
How these species compare
There is no objective scientific scale for weirdness. These examples stand out for concrete reasons such as unusual anatomy, deep-water habitat, rediscovery, or a memorable name.
| Species | Location or context | Standout feature | Important timing or caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dactylonax kambuayai | Vogelkop Peninsula, Indonesian New Guinea | One digit on each hand is twice as long as the next-longest | Identification used a 1992 museum specimen and other evidence |
| Tous ayamaruensis | Vogelkop Peninsula, Indonesian New Guinea | Strongly prehensile tail; new genus of New Guinean marsupial | Identification drew on photographs, fossils, and museum material |
| Greyjoyella mundugalae | Off Jervis Bay, Australia | 2.5-millimetre crustacean collected near four kilometres deep | Collected in 2017; announced in late 2025 |
| Deima oloughlini | Off the Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 10 pairs of legs and around 20 back papillae | Found at 1,175–1,896 metres in 2022 |
| Heterodontus marshallae | Western Australia’s Gascoyne Marine Park | Shark reclassified after being mistaken for a relative | Holotype collected in 2022 at 210–212 metres |
| Eviota vader | Papua New Guinea | Dwarf goby named after Darth Vader | Do not infer further traits from the name alone |
| Colobus congoensis | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Orange-cream facial patches; identified using traits, genetics, and calls | Locally known as Likweli |
| Microeledone galapagensis | Near Darwin Island, Galápagos | Golf-ball-sized blue octopus; studied with CT scans | First recorded in 2015, outside the strict window |
What does “newly discovered” mean?
A species described as new to science is not necessarily newly seen by people. A specimen may be collected or photographed years before researchers determine that it represents a distinct species. Researchers may combine museum material, fossils, photographs, DNA, vocalizations, imaging, and local research to make that case.
The pygmy possum illustrates the gap between collection and recognition: a museum specimen collected in 1992 was misidentified at the time. The Galápagos octopus illustrates the gap between observation and formal description: it was first recorded in 2015 but described in a 2026 paper. And the Likweli shows that a species can be newly described by scientists while already known to local communities.
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Descriptions add evidence about biodiversity, relationships between animals, and the ecosystems they inhabit. They can also point to unanswered questions and the need for further research. Deep-sea animals such as the tiny shrimp and the octopus are difficult to observe directly, while the possum and monkey stories show how museum material, local knowledge, and careful comparison can contribute to recognition.
CSIRO reported in 2026 that RV Investigator had helped scientists describe 179 species new to science in its first 12 years. That figure refers to work associated with the vessel, not global discoveries. CSIRO also estimated that up to 95 per cent of Australia’s marine life remains unrecorded, excluding microscopic plant and animal life; this is an estimate about Australia, not the planet.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
What does “new animal species discovered” mean?
It often means that scientists formally described a species as new to science. The animal may have been observed or collected earlier, and nearby communities may already know it.
Which new animal species was thought to be extinct?
The pygmy long-fingered possum was previously known from fossils and thought to have been extinct for thousands of years. The Australian Museum describes its recognition as an exceptional rediscovery.
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How deep was the Game of Thrones shrimp found?
CSIRO says the 2.5-millimetre shrimp was collected off Jervis Bay at 3,881–4,026 metres in 2017.
Was the tiny blue Galápagos octopus first discovered in 2026?
No. The Charles Darwin Foundation says it was first recorded by a remotely operated vehicle in 2015. It was formally described in a 2026 paper, so those two dates should not be conflated.
Are these animals ranked from weirdest to least weird?
No. “Weirdest” is an editorial label, not a scientific category. The examples are selected for distinctive anatomy, habitat, discovery history, or naming story.
These animals show several different kinds of scientific surprise: a possum recognized from old and new evidence, tiny deep-sea species, a shark reclassified from a known relative, and a monkey with a local name. Their stories also show why a discovery date, collection date, and formal description date are not interchangeable.
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