A species of crustacean unknown to science has been discovered off the coast of Chile. This is the first such a large animal to be found in this place – it lives in the Atacama Trench at a depth of almost 8,000 meters. Dulcibella camanchaca is also a true giant among its closest cousins.
At a depth of less than 6,000 meters below the surface, the least life-friendly zone of the ocean begins – the hadal. Not a bit of sunlight reaches it, and the pressure there is deadly to most living organisms. Although there are well-adapted animals living there, studying them is a challenge due to the extreme conditions in the depths.
Predator in the dark
The scientific journal “Systematics and Biodiversity” published an article describing a previously unknown species of crustacean. The animal was found in the Atacama Trench – an ocean fault running along the western coast of South America – at a depth of 7,902 meters. The researchers' attention was drawn to the structure of the crustacean's legs, indicating that it is a predator.
Morphological and genetic analysis showed that the individual did not belong to any species known to science. Scientists gave it a name Dulcibella camanchaca. The animal belongs to the order of amphipods, but it is much longer than its cousins ​​- its body measures four centimeters, while most amphipods do not grow to 1 cm.
– Dulcibella camanchaca is a fast-swimming predator whose name comes from the word “darkness” in the languages ​​of the indigenous inhabitants of the Andes, which refers to the deep, dark ocean in which it lives – explained Johanna Weston from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, author of the article.
Scientists explained that at a depth of almost eight thousand meters, predation is quite a rare strategy – most of the species living there are scavengers. D.camanchaca it is the first hadal predator observed in the Atacama Trench.
Dulcibella camanchaca Johanna Weston
“We expect further discoveries”
Researchers collected four members of the species using a remotely operated submersible vehicle. The amphipods were frozen aboard the research vessel and then subjected to detailed morphological and genetic analysis at the University of Concepción in Chile.
– Together we confirmed that Dulcibella camanchaca is a new species. This discovery highlights the need for further exploration of the ocean depths, said Carolina González from the Instituto Milenio de OceanografÃa, author of the analysis. – We expect further discoveries during subsequent research.
As exploration technology advances, scientists expect to discover more species that will help us understand how animals adapt to life in the depths. Knowledge will also enable us to protect deep-sea ecosystems from threats such as pollution and climate change.
Instituto Milenio de OceanografÃa, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Main photo source: Johanna Weston/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution