Ракоподібне Dulcibella camanchaca / WHOI
This animal not only reminds us of the movies “Alien” but also “Predator”, due to its feeding method. A shrimp-like creature, resembling an alien or mutant, resides at a depth of 8 km in the Atacama Trench of the Pacific Ocean.
Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Millennium Oceanographic Institute (IMO), Chile identified a new species of crustacean, the first in a deep-sea area previously thought to be uninhabitable. The study is published in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity. The species Dulcibella camanchaca measures just 4 cm in length. The shrimp-like animal uses specialized predatory appendages to hunt smaller crustaceans and is capable of swift swimming.
The species was discovered during an expedition by the Integrated Deep Ocean Observing System (IDOOS) led by IMO scientists. The team collected four individuals of this species using a mechanical platform that transfers equipment from the ocean surface to its depths. The device brought them to the water surface from a depth of 8 km. Researchers froze the four crustaceans on board the ship before conducting morphological and genetic analysis at the University of Concepción.
“The most exciting thing is that DNA and morphological data indicate that this species is also a new genus, highlighting the Atacama Trench as an endemic ‘hotspot’,” stated WHOI.
According to researchers, dozens of species thrive in these harsh marine landscapes. Each new creature identified helps us understand how animals have evolved to live in such extreme conditions. The Atacama Trench has a particularly unique ecosystem, as it is located far from other deep-water zones.