Scientists are looking for one of the world’s most cavernous ocean trenches has discovered a never-before-seen predatory creature, Live Science reported.
Researchers’ dive In the Atacama Trench, located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, they discovered a never-before-seen crustacean that they believe preys on other sea creatures. The extremely large predatory amphipod has been nicknamed Dulcibella camanchaca and measures just 1.57 inches. It was discovered at a staggering depth of 25,900 feet and resembles a pale, almost translucent shrimp with special limbs that allow it to capture and kill smaller prey living at equal depths.
The discovery was made by scientists working with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) of Massachusetts and the Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO) of Chile.
“Dulcibella camanchaca “is a fast-swimming predator that we named ‘darkness’ in the languages of the people of the Andean region to refer to the deep, dark ocean from which it feeds,” explained Johanna Weston, hadal ecologist at WHOI, in a declaration. The “hadal zone” is the deepest part of the ocean, which is everything below 19,680 feet. The Atacama Trench stretches 3,666 miles between the coasts of Chile and Peru.
Johanna Weston; ©WoodsHole Oceanographic Institution
Four specimens were collected and frozen. A DNA analysis revealed that in addition to being a new speciesDulcibella camanchaca is a completely new genus. A genus is the taxonomic group above species.
“More discoveries are expected as we continue to study the Atacama Trench,” said OMI researcher and co-lead author Carolina González. She added that these findings could inform a better understanding of how complex ecosystems respond to environmental threats such as climate change and pollution.