The beloved Steven Spielberg film E.T. was released in 1982. Fast forward to July 9, 2020, when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Exploration and Research announced that a deep-sea team had discovered a new type of sponge that resembles the iconic alien.

Photo: YouTube/Amaze Lab
The "E.T. Sponge" was discovered on the Pacific seafloor.

This alien-like creature was found growing on a section of the Pacific seafloor that dates back as far as 145 million years. Known as the “Forest of the Weird,” this extraordinary seascape lies more than 7,800 feet below the ocean’s surface, where strange organisms appear to grow directly from the rocky seabed.

Photo: YouTube/Amaze Lab
The sponge has a  tall stalk and two large openings that resemble E.T.’s eyes.

One of these unusual creatures is now known as the “E.T. sponge,” thanks to its tall stalk and two large openings that resemble E.T.’s eyes. The sponge represents a new species and genus of glass sponge, a group of animals that attach themselves to hard surfaces and feed on tiny bacteria and plankton.

The first reported sighting of this glass sponge occurred in 2016. Credit for identifying it as a new species goes to scientist Cristiana Castello Branco, a postdoctoral researcher who analyzed the specimen’s skeleton and realized it was previously unknown to science.

She officially named the species Advhena magnifica, meaning “magnificent alien,” though it has since become widely known as the E.T. sponge—and for good reason.