Meet spectacular sea slugs, sea urchins, and starfish that further affirm the Philippines’ reputation as a hotspot for marine biodiversity.

A recent expedition in the Verde Island Passage (VIP) led by the California Academy of Sciences yielded “rare and new” species, affirming Philippine seas as a hotspot for marine biodiversity.

Among the country’s newly-discovered aquatic residents are flamboyant sea slugs, delicate comb jelly, and flat worms in flashy colors.

Dr Terry Gosliner, head of the expedition, says his favorite find is a new sea slug of the Halgerda genus.

“I have been studying this group for many years and finding another new species in this group was a real surprise,” he told Rappler.

Academy researchers will study the newly-found species in the coming months using DNA sequencing and other technology.

The VIP in Batangas province is tagged as the “center of the center of marine biodiversity” and is part of the Coral Triangle – an area which covers only 2% of the world’s oceans yet hosts 76% of the world’s coral species.

Here are 12 beautiful creatures discovered during the expedition with short descriptions from Gosliner:

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