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Whether its naming a spider after Venom (and Tom Hardy), a crab after a League of Legends raccoon-thing, or a giant isopod after Darth Vader, researchers have a long history of honouring their favourite pop-culture characters when naming new species.
So, when researchers from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) discovered a new limpet species deep below the northwestern Pacific Ocean, it should come as no surprise that they looked to a nautical manga series for inspiration.
Published as a new species in the open-access journal Zoosystematics and Evolution (follow the journal on Bluesky here), the deep-sea limpet was found on hard volcanic rock 500 kilometres southeast of Tokyo at a depth of almost 6 km, the deepest known habitat for any true limpet (subclass Patellogastropoda).
The gastropod measures up to 40.5 mm in shell length, which is a remarkably large size for a true limpet from such depths and another source of inspiration for the species’ name.
So, what is that name?
The research team named the new species Bathylepeta wadatsumi, which is both a reference to Wadatsumi, the god of the sea in Japanese mythology, and the character “Large Monk” Wadatsumi, from the manga series ONE PIECE.
In ONE PIECE,”Large Monk” Wadatsumi is a giant fish-man and a member of the Sun Pirates. To avoid spoilers, that’s all we will say about the character, but as far as the reference goes: Wadatsumi is big, the limpet is big, and the authors love ONE PIECE.
So much so, that they paid further homage to the world’s most popular manga series in the acknowledgements section of their paper, writing:
“We also take this opportunity to salute Eiichiro Oda for continuing to chart the epic voyage of ONE PIECE (1997–), which reminds us that the greatest voyages are driven by freedom, camaraderie, and an insatiable thirst for discovery.”
Their own discovery was made possible by access to sophisticated submersible technology.
The new species was collected using the crewed submersible DSV Shinkai 6500, making it the first time a member of the genus Bathylepeta has been observed and photographed live on its natural rocky substrate, rather than being dredged using a net. The use of submersibles is instrumental in accessing these habitats, allowing for direct observation and collection of previously overlooked organisms.
“Even in an age of sophisticated remotely operated vehicles, there’s often an edge to the human eye on the seafloor. Crewed submersibles like Shinkai 6500 let us explore with intention and nuance—spotting lifeforms like Bathylepeta wadatsumi that might otherwise be missed entirely.”
Dr Chong Chen, lead author.
Beyond its taxonomic significance, the study has broader ecological implications as B. wadatsumi appears to graze on sediment layers over rock, indicating a specialised role in processing organic matter in deep-sea ecosystems.
The findings underscore the need for more comprehensive explorations of rocky abyssal habitats using submersibles to reveal the true diversity and distribution of Bathylepeta and other animals relying on such habitats.
While it remains to be seen whether Luffy and co. will ever find the “One Piece,” we can be sure that their adventures will continue to inspire researchers in their own journies of discovery.
Original source
Chen C, Tsuda M, Ishitani Y (2025) A new large-sized lepetid limpet from the abyssal northwestern Pacific is the deepest known patellogastropod. Zoosystematics and Evolution 101(3): 1249-1058. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.156207
Cover image credit: Limpet photograph: Chen et al.; Illustration: ONE PIECE (TV series) Toei Animation.
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