Even after years of research, discoveries like this still make me stop and look.
Nearly two kilometers beneath the surface of the tropical western Pacific, the ocean continues to hold forms of life that have never been named — until now. Scientists have formally identified Iridogorgia chewbacca, a deep-sea coral whose long, hairy-looking branches so unmistakably evoked a beloved fictional Wookiee that the name chose itself. The discovery, anchored in both physical observation and genetic analysis, reminds us that the deep ocean remains one of Earth's great frontiers — a place where the unknown is not the exception, but the rule.
- A coral standing nearly silent in the abyss for millennia has finally been given a name — and it belongs to a character from Star Wars.
- The species, found near Moloka'i and the Mariana Trench, went unrecognized for years until a veteran deep-sea researcher spotted something unmistakably familiar in a colleague's data.
- Formal identification required both meticulous physical description and genetic analysis, ultimately placing the coral among at least ten distinct Iridogorgia species in the region.
- The discovery, published in Zootaxa alongside a second new species, signals how much of the deep ocean remains unnamed, unstudied, and waiting to be found.
Nearly two kilometers below the surface of the tropical western Pacific, scientists have identified a coral so visually striking that its name was never really in question. Iridogorgia chewbacca — found near Moloka'i and the Mariana Trench — earns its name from long, flexible branches with a hairy texture and an upright, solitary posture that researchers found unmistakably reminiscent of the Star Wars Wookiee.
The first specimen was observed in Hawaiian waters in 2006, standing about 1.2 meters tall. A second, smaller example turned up a decade later near the Mariana Trench. It was Les Watling, an emeritus professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, who recognized the coral while reviewing research from colleagues in China — his years of deep-sea fieldwork and NOAA expeditions giving him the eye to see what others might have missed. "Even after years of research in the deep ocean, discoveries like this still make me stop and really look," he said.
The formal description, published in the journal Zootaxa, combined physical analysis with genetic study and also introduced a second new species, Iridogorgia curva. Together, the findings paint a picture of surprising diversity: the tropical western Pacific is home to at least ten distinct Iridogorgia species, each shaped by the extreme pressures of the deep.
The discovery is a quiet but pointed reminder that vast stretches of the ocean floor remain unexplored, their inhabitants unnamed. Occasionally, something surfaces from that darkness that demands not just a scientific label, but one that makes people smile.
In the tropical waters of the western Pacific, nearly two kilometers below the surface, scientists have identified a coral species so visually distinctive that they named it after a Wookiee. Iridogorgia chewbacca, discovered in recent years near Moloka'i and the Mariana Trench, bears the hallmarks of its fictional namesake: long, flexible branches with a hairy appearance, and a solitary, upright posture that struck researchers as unmistakably familiar.
The coral belongs to the Iridogorgia genus, a group of deep-sea corals characterized by elongated, spiral structures. The first specimen was observed in Hawaiian waters near Moloka'i in 2006, standing approximately 1.2 meters tall. A second example turned up a decade later near the Mariana Trench, this one considerably smaller at about 50 centimeters. The branches themselves—flexible and reaching up to 38 centimeters in length—give the organism its most striking feature: a texture and appearance that genuinely evokes the character from Star Wars.
Les Watling, an emeritus professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's School of Life Sciences, recognized the coral while reviewing research from colleagues in China. His own extensive work in Hawaiian deep waters, combined with collaborations on NOAA expeditions, positioned him to confirm what he was seeing: a species previously unknown to science. "Seeing this coral for the first time was unforgettable," Watling said. "Its long, flexible branches and overall form immediately reminded me of Chewbacca. Even after years of research in the deep ocean, discoveries like this still make me stop and really look."
The formal description of Iridogorgia chewbacca, published in the journal Zootaxa, relied on both physical characteristics and genetic analysis. The same study documented a second new species, Iridogorgia curva, and catalogued other known species in the region. What emerged from this work was a picture of remarkable diversity: the tropical western Pacific harbors at least ten distinct Iridogorgia species, each adapted to the extreme conditions of the deep ocean.
The discovery underscores how much remains unknown about the deep sea. Even as human activity increasingly reaches into the ocean's depths, vast regions remain poorly explored, their inhabitants unnamed and unstudied. Each expedition brings the possibility of encountering something entirely new—and occasionally, something so visually arresting that it demands a name that will make people smile. In this case, it took a Star Wars fan with decades of deep-sea experience to recognize what was staring back at him from the abyss.
Notable Quotes
Its long, flexible branches and overall form immediately reminded me of Chewbacca. Even after years of research in the deep ocean, discoveries like this still make me stop and really look.— Les Watling, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why name a coral after a fictional character? Doesn't that seem to trivialize the science?
It's actually the opposite. Scientists name species all the time—after colleagues, places, characteristics. The name Chewbacca is memorable precisely because it's accurate. When you see the branches, you understand immediately why they chose it. It's not flippant; it's honest description dressed in language people will remember.
But how do you even discover something two kilometers down? It's not like you're walking through a forest.
Submersibles and deep-sea cameras, mostly. NOAA expeditions use remotely operated vehicles to explore the seafloor. You're watching a screen, seeing creatures that have never been photographed before. Watling was reviewing footage and data from colleagues when he recognized this one.
So Watling had seen Iridogorgia corals before?
Yes, many times. He's spent his career studying deep-sea life in Hawaiian waters. That experience is what let him spot something new—he knew what the genus looked like, and this one was different. Distinctive enough that it stood out even in grainy footage.
Ten species of the same genus in one region? That seems like a lot.
It does, which is exactly the point. We're only now getting a clear picture of what lives in the deep Pacific. For decades, these waters were essentially invisible to us. Now that we're looking, we're finding that biodiversity down there rivals what we see on land.
What happens to the coral now that it's been named and studied?
It remains where it is, in the deep ocean, largely undisturbed. The naming and study are about understanding—building a catalog of what exists. But it also puts a spotlight on these ecosystems. Once you name something, once you show people what it looks like, it becomes harder to ignore when decisions get made about ocean protection.