(Mirror Daily, United States) – The top 10 new species of 2016 has finally been revealed by scientists after a long wait. The list includes a grotesque anglerfish, a giant Galapagos tortoise and a few other surprises that have been selected as the most unusual and surprising discoveries of last year.

Scientists from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry have chosen 10 species out of 18,000 new ones. According to Quentin Wheeler, SUNY-ESF president, during the last 50 years, many species were labeled as on the verge of extinction. Plus, their population has critically dropped off.

By showing everyone the richness of our world, scientists hope that people will become more aware of the fact that every species is unique and important for the balance of the ecosystem. With every species that disappears, our world becomes more unstable and poorer.

Researchers are trying to point out the fact that people should bring their contribution in preserving the ecosystem by simply being considerate of the way they approach the environment.

According to Wheeler, it is a good sign that scientists discover every year a vast number of new species that are thriving at a very fast rate. Plus, this discovery can provide us with enough information to develop new efficient ways of protecting the environment. If we understand more about the planet’s biodiversity, we will know better how to preserve it.

Among the top 10 species of this year, there is the Giant Galapagos Tortoise, known as Chelonoidis Donfaustoi, which consists of just 250 specimens situated on the east part of the Island. Another species is an unusual hideous anglerfish known as the Lasiognathus Dinema, discovered during a NOAA investigation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

This unusual fish thrives in the deepest parts of the oceans, where they hunt by using their illcium or esca, a unique feature that acts as a bait that protrudes in front of their heads as an antenna that can light its tip just like a bulb.

The other new species from the list are the Umma Gumma damselfly; a flowering tree called Sirdavidia solannona; the Paddington Bear beetle, known as Phytotelmatrichis osopaddington; the ruby red Seadragon called Phyllopteryx dewysea; a new crustacean known as the House-building isopod also called Iuiuniscus iuiuensis; the carnivorous Giant Sundew named Drosera magnifica; and the Laia, the Spanish Little Ape called Pliobates cataloniae.

Image Source:Wikipedia