About Chaetoderma shenloong

The giant deep-sea caudofoveate Chaetoderma shenloong is a species in the family Chaetodermatidae. They are discovered in the Haima methane seep at around 1,385 meters. The species name 'shenloong' means 'divine dragon' in Mandarin Chinese, alluding the body form and sclerites of caudofoveates to Chinese dragons ('loongs'). This is also a reference to the Chinese saying 'You shall never see the head and tail of Shén Loong at the same time' used to refer to something highly elusive, like C. shenloong hidden deep inside black mud. Furthermore, this name takes inspiration from the dragon character Shenron ( = also Shenlong or Shenloong) in the Japanese manga series Dragon Ball by the artist Akira Toriyama (1955-2024).

Animalia (Kingdom); Mollusca (Phylum); Caudofoveata (Class); Chaetodermatida (Order); Chaetodermatidae (Family); Chaetoderma (Genus); Chaetoderma shenloong (Species)

Chaetoderma shenloong C. Chen, X. Liu, X. Gu, J.-W. Qiu & J. Sun, 2024

1. Chen C, Liu X, Gu X, et al. Integrative taxonomy of a new giant deep-sea caudofoveate from South China Sea cold seeps[J]. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 2024, 100(3): 841-850. (Chen et al., 2024)

Animal up to 154 mm in length, rather chunky and broad cylindrical, up to 20 mm in width. Foregut region and midgut region separated by a deep groove (‘neck’), situated approximately one-fourth to one-fifth from anterior of the body. Anterior of the neck typically slightly thicker than the posterior. Posterium (the posterior-most part of the body from prepallial to pallial regions) short at about the hindmost one-tenth of the body. The bulbous, dorsoterminal sense organ takes the form of an elongated dorsal-median groove. Oral shield small, about one-third as wide as the body, wider than high, with mouth opening at the centre. Colouration at different shades of yellowish white, with some variability across body regions and individuals. Dark mud accumulates between sclerites, resulting in a blackish appearance in fresh specimens before cleaning.

From Mandarin Chinese, "Shén" (divine, deity) + "Loong" (dragon), referring to a group of mysterious and mystic dragons in Chinese mythology. Named in allusion to the long and giant body form of the new Chaetoderma, which carries many ‘scales’ on its body like dragons. A well-known Chinese saying is ‘You shall never see the head and tail of "Shén Loong" at the same time,’ used to refer to something or someone being highly elusive, like caudofoveates living deep inside sediments. Used as a noun in apposition

Haima and Jiaolong Ridge methane seep sites in the South China Sea