With its raptor-like pincers and tusk-like front appendages, a newly discovered predatory crustacean appears to be pretty adept at living in marine extremes. An international team of scientists found the first large and active predatory amphipod lurking deep in one of Earth’s most inhospitable environments–the hadal zone. Dulcibella camanchaca is detailed in a study recently published in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity.
The hadal zone is named after Hades–the Greek god of the underworld–and is about 3.7 to 6.8 miles under the surface of the ocean. This zone only occurs in the ocean’s trenches and all of the planet’s hadal zones put together are about the size of Australia. The hadal zone is completely dark–save for some of the bioluminescence that some animals use to communicate–the temperatures hover just above freezing, and the depths come with intense amounts of pressure. Every species found there can add more crucial knowledge to how life on Earth has evolved and how some can even thrive in such extreme environments.
This new species is an amphipod–a type of shrimp-like crustacean that is found in both freshwater and saltwater environments around the world. It was discovered in the Atacama Trench off the coast of South America by scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts and Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO) based at the Universidad de Concepción in Concepción, Chile.
“Dulcibella camanchaca is a fast-swimming predator that we named after ‘darkness’ in the languages of the peoples from the Andes region to signify the deep, dark ocean from where it predates,” study co-author and WHOI hadal ecologist Johanna Weston said in a statement.
It is about 1.5 inches long and uses specialized front legs to capture prey. It eats the smaller amphipod species found in the Atacama Trench’s food-limited realm off the coasts of Peru and Chile. The trench stretches along the eastern South Pacific Ocean. Off the coast of northern Chile, it can reach depths over 26,000 feet and has long fascinated scientists.
stretches along the eastern South Pacific Ocean, plunging to depths exceeding 8,000 meters (26,246 feet). CREDIT: Johanna Weston, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Despite being cold, deep, and dark, the Atacama Trench is located beneath some very nutrient-rich surface waters that allows some life to flourish. The trench is also far away from other hadal environments, so it is home to a very distinctive community of native species not seen in other parts of the world.
“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 Weston.
During the 2023 Integrated Deep-Ocean Observing System (IDOOS) Expedition aboard the R/V Abate Molina, the team collected four Dulcibella camanchaca at a depth of 25,925 feet. To collect the crustaceans, the team used a lander vehicle. This untethered platform is used for carrying various scientific equipment including baited traps. The lander vehicle was moved to and from the ocean floor and carefully brought back to the ship’s deck. The team found that the amphipods were frozen and the specimens underwent detailed morphological and genetic analysis at the Universidad de Concepción.
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“This study’s collaborative effort and integrative approach confirmed Dulcibella camanchaca as a new species and highlights ongoing biodiversity discoveries in the Atacama Trench,” study co-author and IMO oceanographer Carolina González said in a statement. “This finding underlines the importance of continued deep-ocean exploration, particularly in Chile’s front yard. More discoveries are expected as we continue to study the Atacama Trench.”
Scientists like González and Weston believe that as exploration technology continues to advance, more species like this living in extreme environments will be uncovered. The findings from this research will add to larger efforts to better understand deep-ocean ecosystems so that they can be protected from climate change and pollution.
