A “Lost World” has been found deep beneath Antarctic. Hundreds of species, including a Yeti crab, seven armed starfish and pale colored octopus have been spotted for the first time 2400 meters underwater, British Daily Mail reported on Jan. 4.

Scientists have discovered this teeming community near the dark and remote area in the sea called hydrothermal vent. The hydrothermal vents are fissures in the Earth’s surface, which spew out water rich in chemicals and heated to boiling temperatures by the interior of the planet.

The vents are home to creatures found nowhere else because they get energy by breaking down those chemicals, instead of from the Sun, according to researchers led by the universities of Oxford and Southampton

In the 2400 meters deep-sea springs at 382 degrees Celsius, new species were observed feeding on the liquid around the vents. Further understanding of how the species exploit the chemicals produced by the vent have given rise to new theories on the species living in harsh conditions and the origins of life. It is sure that the new discovery would bring about more questions.

"Everywhere we look, whether it is in the sunlit coral reefs of tropical waters or these Antarctic vents shrouded in eternal darkness, we find unique ecosystems that we need to understand and protect," said Alex Rogers, a lead researcher of Oxford University. “These findings are yet more evidence of the species hidden to be discovered in the future.”