Alien-like deep sea predator lurking where few creatures dare to go discovered by scientists and given chilling name
Few animals can survive, much less flourish, at the bottom of a 26,460-foot trench, where an alien-like deep-sea predator has been found.
It is the hadal zone, a region of the ocean that is completely dark and prone to crushing pressures.
Few animals may be found at the deepest areas of the oceans on Earth, known as hadal zones.
Additionally, they are among the least visited regions of the hazy depths of Earth.
The first ‘big’ predatory shrimp-like species was discovered in the Atacama Trench in 2023 by researchers from Chile’s Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Instituto Milenio de Oceanograf a (IMO).
Despite being only 1.57 inches (4 cm) long, the crustacean is a giant in the world of amphipods.
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It can pursue smaller prey that lurks at the same dark depths thanks to its specialized appendages.
Researchers have dubbed the creature “darkness” despite its official name being Dulcibella camanchaca.
According to Dr. Johanna Weston, a hadal ecologist from WHOI, “Dulcibella camanchaca is a fast-swimming predator that we named after darkness in the languages of the Andes region to signify the deep, dark ocean from which it predates.”
Four specimens of the new species were recovered by specialists during the Integrated Deep-Ocean Observing System (IDOOS).
A deep sea lander vehicle equipped with baited traps and other research tools was used to gather each specimen.
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“Most excitingly, the DNA and morphology data pointed to this species being a new genus too, emphasizing the Atacama Trench as an endemic hotspot,” said Dr. Weston, a co-lead author of the recently published paper.
One of the world’s deepest underwater canyons, the Atacama Trench is 3,666 miles (5,900 km) long and located off the coast of Chile.
“This study’s collaborative effort and integrative approach confirmed Dulcibella camanchaca as a new species and highlights ongoing biodiversity discoveries in the Atacama Trench,” stated Dr. Carolina Gonz lez, IMO co-lead author who was in charge of sample collection and DNA analysis.
The significance of ongoing deep-ocean exploration, especially in Chile’s front yard, is highlighted by this discovery.
As we continue to investigate the Atacama Trench, further findings are anticipated.
By conducting several deep sea surveys over a five-year period, the IDOOS expedition hopes to learn more about the area.
Other creatures in the hadal zone
Any deep sea trench that is 19,686 feet or more below the surface is referred to as the hadal zone, or hadalpelagic zone.
The epipelagic zone, which is between 0 and 656 feet deep, is home to nearly all marine species.
However, ‘The Trenches’, as the area is called, is still alive.
This zone, where the pressure is around 110 times that of the surface, is home to about 400 recognized species.
Every studied hadal zone contains thousands of amphipods, which are small crustaceans that resemble fleas.
One of the most prevalent families in this region are snailfish, which are gelatinous organisms that are translucent enough to reveal their internal organs.
Although they are located in the shallow epipelagic zone, the hardy Cusk-Eels are also able to traverse the hadal zone due to their resilience.
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