Meet the Shaggy Coral Named After a Star Wars Character

Star Wars has become one of the most beloved franchises across the globe, spawning numerous feature films, games, TV series, and more. Since kicking off in 1977, the fanbase around Star Wars has continued to grow, and marine scientists are among its devoted followers. According to Popular Science, one researcher recently named a new coral species after a famous Wookiee.

1. A New Coral Named After Chewbacca

A New Coral Named After Chewbacca

Les Watling, a University of Hawai’i ecologist, noticed an unusual coral species while reviewing research from his colleagues. With its long strands of shaggy “hair,” the scientist immediately thought of Chewbacca. As a result, the coral was named Iridogorgia chewbacca. Watling and his team detailed the creature’s physical and genetic characteristics in the journal Zootaxa. 

I. chewbacca was caught on video for the first time in 2006 during an ocean expedition near the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i; it was filmed again near the Mariana Trench in 2016. The I. chewbacca found in Moloka’i was about 4 feet tall, while the one spotted near the Mariana Trench stretched only 20 inches. The hair-like branches on both specimens reached up to 15 inches in length. Although coral can grow on massive reefs, such as the Great Barrier Reef that spans over 135,000 miles, I. chewbacca dwells by itself on the ocean floor.  

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The same study also outlined the physical and genetic characteristics of Iridogorgia curva, a new species of deep-sea coral. The new research brings the total known species of the Iridogorgia genus found in the Western Pacific up to 10.

Speaking of animals named after Star Wars characters, have you heard of Bathynomus vaderi? The foot-long sea bug bears a striking resemblance to Darth Vader.