A group of scientists have named a water mite in Jennifer Lopez's honour after discovering a new species near Puerto Rico.

They collected the newly named Litarachna lopezae mite from a coral reef in Mona Passage, a body of water that separates Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The species was found at a depth of nearly 70 metres, the greatest depth pontarachnid mites have been found until now, according to the study.

The Bronx-born entertainer has Puerto Rican roots, and her music was a hit with the group while they wrote about their findings, biologist Vladimir Pesic said, adding: "J.Lo's songs and videos kept the team in a continuous good mood when writing the manuscript and watching World Cup soccer".