An international team of scientists has discovered life in the Antarctic deep is much more diverse than previously thought. This male Munna crustacean was one of more than 1,000 species found living in this harsh environment.

The research, which uncovered creatures such as this Ctenocidaris, formed part of the Andeep (Antarctic benthic deep-sea biodiversity) project. It is the first comprehensive look at marine life in these waters.

More than 700 of the marine creatures found were completely new to science, such as the small gastropod pictured here.

The researchers, writing in the journal Nature, said an "astonishingly diverse" collection of isopods had been discovered. This young male isopod represents one of 674 isopod species found.

The international team also found this brightly coloured member of the crustacean family Epimeriidae. This pink species is new to science and is the first deep-sea member of this group.

Seventy-six species of sponge, including this glass sponge, made up some of the larger fauna discovered in the Antarctic deep. Among them, 37 had never been spotted in the Southern Ocean before.

Scientists plan to study the differences between marine creatures found in the shallow waters and those that live in the Antarctic deep.