A team of scientists has found a new ocean predator lurking in the depths of the Atacama Trench.
The team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía named the predatory crustacean Dulcibella camanchaca.
At nearly 4cm/1.75 inches, the fast-swimming predator can be found in the extreme depths of the Atacama Trench, which plunges down to 8,000m/26,246ft. The predator uses raptorial appendages to prey on other smaller amphipod species.
According to a hadal ecologist at WHOI, Dr. Johanna Weston:
“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. Most excitingly, the DNA and morphology data pointed to this species being a new genus too, emphasizing the Atacama Trench as an endemic hotspot.”
While the co-lead author Dr. Carolina González stated:
“This study’s collaborative effort and integrative approach confirmed Dulcibella camanchaca as a new species and highlights ongoing biodiversity discoveries in the Atacama Trench. 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.”
You can find the original research here.
