A team of marine biologists from the University of Southampton on Friday announced the discovery of six new species that they found in a deep-sea vent in the India Ocean.

Among the half a dozen new species are hairy-chested crabs, deep-sea worms and rare snails. The researchers discovered the new species during a study of the undersea hot springs of Longqi, which is also called “Dragon’s Breath.” It is located roughly 1.7 miles beneath the surface of the ocean, nearly 1,200 miles southeast of Madagascar.

Lead researcher Jon Copley said some of the various hydrothermal vents that they studied are more than two stories above the floor of the ocean and they emit hot fluids and minerals, making the area an ideal habitat for various sort of sea life.

The area is an ideal location for seafloor mining of gold and copper, but Dr. Copley suggested that the mining in the area should be halted until further analysis of the marine species that live there is done.

Speaking on the topic, he said, “Our results highlight the need to explore other hydrothermal vents in the southwest Indian Ocean and investigate the connectivity of their populations, before any impacts from mineral exploration activities and future deep-sea mining can be addressed.”

The discovery of the strange and alien-like creatures in the Indian Ocean was reported in the most recent edition of the journal Scientific Reports.