A new scientific analysis of the species initially documented almost two decades ago indicates that Iridogorgia chewbacca is its own species, with long, hairlike branches that live up to its namesake Wookie. I. chewbacca was actually first recorded on video during a 2006 ocean expedition near the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i. His team’s recent paper published in the journal Zootaxa marks the first description of I. chewbacca’s physical and genetic characteristics along with another novel species of coral, Iridogorgia curva. Unlike other coral species, I. chewbacca isn’t found amid extensive reefs. The world’s coral, I. chewbacca included, are currently threatened by the climate crisis’ ongoing effects on ocean temperature, acidity, and pollution.