10 Recently Discovered Species With Weird And Interesting Features

Every year, scientists and researchers discover 18,000 new species. Nearly 2 million animal and plant species have already been identified but it is estimated that about 10 million more are waiting to be found. The sheer number of species out there shows the level of biodiversity in the world right now. Unfortunately, pollution, poaching and habitat loss threaten this biodiversity, leading to the disappearance of many species before they can be identified.

Since 2008, the International Institute for Species Exploration at the State University of New York has been releasing a top 10 list of new species to honor the most fascinating finds from the previous year. For 2015, the Top 10 New Species list includes:

• The sea slug Phyllodesmium acanthorhinum. Like others of its kind, this new sea slug species is highly colorful, bordering on psychedelic. Measuring just an inch long, the sea slug was found in Japan and is considered a major link between coral-eating slugs and those that consume coral relatives.
• The walking stick Phryganistria tamdaeonsis. At nine inches long, this walking stick appears colossal next to other bugs. It is a common sight in Vietnam but escaped the radar of scientists until 2014.
• The "Chicken from Hell" Anzu wyliei. This new species is essentially what a chicken would be if it was a dinosaur. This North American discovery looks much like a chicken in that it has feathers, a beak and hollow bones but it lived during the Cretaceous era, towering above other species at 11 feet.
• The Christmas plant Tillandsia religiosa. A red-and-green plant, this new species is aptly associated with Christmas, used as a common decoration for the holiday in Mexico. It has long been appreciated by Mexicans in Morelos so it was surprising when it was just officially described last year.
• The pufferfish Torquigener albomaculosus. It has long baffled Japanese divers as to what could be producing perfect six-feet circles on the ocean floor. When the species was discovered, it was found that the pufferfish creates the circles as nesting sites and to attract females.
• The X-Phyla Dendrogramma enigmatica. It looks like a mushroom but it's actually a tiny animal likely related to the jellyfish. This new species was discovered in Victoria, Australia and needed an entirely new phyllum to itself.
• The spider Cebrennus rechenbergi. Hailing from Morocco, this new spider species turns to cartwheeling to get away from its enemies, escaping quickly across hot sand.
• The bone-house wasp Deuteragenia ossarium. Identified in eastern China, the bone-house wasp takes advantage of dead ants to protect its home, utilizing ant chemicals to ward away parasites and predators from its nest.
• The frog Limnonectes larvaepartus. There are over 6,000 frog species but this one sets itself apart by being the only frog to give birth to live tadpoles.
• The coral plant Balanophora coralliformis. Characterized by long and bumpy branches, this new species parasitizes on other plants. It was discovered in the Philippines and is apparently so rare now that it was categorized as endangered nearly as soon as it was identified.