Unusual New Species Make Top 10 List

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - A pea-sized seahorse, caffeine-free coffee and bacteria that live in hairspray have all made this year's Top 10 new species list, compiled by scientists at Arizona State University.

Each year the International Institute for Species Exploration makes its picks for which new species are the most interesting in terms of unique attributes, surprising facts or peculiar names, according to Quentin Wheeler, an entomologist and director of the institute. And there are still thousands, if not millions, of species that have yet to be discovered.

"Charting the species of the world and their unique attributes are essential parts of understanding the history of life," Wheeler said. "It is in our own self-interest as we face the challenges of living on a rapidly changing planet."

Last year the shocking pink dragon millipede was one of the more fascinating species the institute put on its list.

See photos and descriptions of who made the Top 10 this year.

10. Spray-on New Species

Microbacterium hatanonis -- Surprisinigly, this new species of extremophile bacteria was discovered in hairspray ( Image by Erik Holsinger)

9. No Jump in these Beans

Coffea charrieriana -- This is a new caffeine-free coffee from Cameroon, the first record of a caffeine-free species from Central Africa. Cameroon is a center of diversity for the genus Coffea and such wild species are potentially important in breeding programs. In this case the new species could be used for breeding of naturally decaffeinated beans ( Photo courtesy of Francois Anthony)

8. Devonian Delivery

Materpiscis attenboroughi -- This new species is the oldest known vertebrate to be viviparous (live bearing).  The fossilized specimen is an extremely rare find, showing a mother fish giving birth approximately 380 million years ago.  The holotype specimen has been nicknamed "Josie" in honor of John Long's mother, who recently passed away ( Photo courtesy of John A. Long)

7. Finding Nemo’s True Blue Cousin

Chromis abyssus -- The publication in which this new species and four others were described heralded a new era in the taxonomy of animal species. It represented the first taxonomic act of 2008, and the first act registered in the newly launched taxonomic database Zoobank. The discovery of the new species also highlights how little we know of deep-reef biodiversity ( Photo courtesy of John Earle)

6. A Snail That’s Whorls Apart

Opisthostoma vermiculum -- This species represents a unique morphological evolution in its manner of shell twisting. Most gastropod shells tightly coil according to a logarithmic spiral and have an upper limit of three coiling axes. The shell of O. vermiculum, however, possesses four different coiling axes - the most for any known gastropod ( Photo courtesy of Reuben Clements)

5. Welsh Rare Bit

Selenochlamys ysbryda -- This charismatic, introduced species was a surprising find in such a well-collected and densely populated area ( Photo courtesy of Ben Rowson)

4. A Mere Thread of a Snake

Leptotyphlops carlae -- This is the world's smallest snake with a total length of 104mm (4.1 inches) ( Photo courtesy of S. Blair Hedges)

3. Pea-sized Pony

Hippocampus satomiae -- This is the smallest known seahorse with a standard length of 13.8mm (0.54 inches) and an approximate height of 11.5mm (0.45 inches) ( Photo courtesy of John Sear)

2. Phantastic Phasmatid!

Phobaeticus chani -- This is the world's longest insect with a body length of 35.6cm (14 inches) and a overall length of 56.7 cm (22.3 inches) ( Photo courtesy of Philip Bragg)

1. A Palm That Flowers Itself to Death

Tahina spectabilis -- A gigantic new species and genus of palm with fewer than 100 individuals found only in a small area of northwestern Madagascar.  This plant flowers itself to death, producing a huge, spectacular terminal inflorescence with countless flowers. After fruiting, the palm dies and collapses ( Photo courtesy of John Dransfield)