Discovered in hadal zones, these oceanic regions located between 6 and 11 km deep, this animal had never been documented. Dulcibella camanchaca, a predatory amphipod, was captured nearly 8 km below the surface in the Atacama Trench, along the Chilean and Peruvian coasts. Don’t worry, because it’s actually… a shrimp.
A fairly unique specimen, built for hunting in great depths. Creatures of the Abyss will never stop surprising usremember this bouncing octopus that we told you about a little over a month ago. Dulcibella camanchaca is now to be removed from the (very) long list of abyssal animals still unknown to scientists.
A miniature fighter adapted to extreme conditions
Despite its modest size, not exceeding four centimeters, this crustacean related to sea fleas turns out to be a formidable predator. Equipped with specialized prehensile appendages, it actively stalks its prey – mainly other amphipods – in the total darkness of the deep sea.
“ This species is a fast swimmer that we named after the word ‘darkness’ in the Andean languages, referring to the dark environment where it hunts. “, explains Johanna Weston of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), co-director of the study.
The capture of four specimens of D. camanchaca during the IDOOS (Integrated Deep-Ocean Observing System) 2023 expedition allowed scientists from Chile’s Instituto Milenio de Oceanographia (IMO) to conduct a battery of morphological and genetic analyzes.
The results, published in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity clearly prove that it is a new species, but also of a new taxonomic genus. To understand the importance of this discovery, we must understand the difference between gender And species.
Species is the most specific level. It brings together individuals who resemble each other physically, share a common ancestor and are capable of reproducing with each other to produce fertile offspring. Gender is a broader level. It includes several species that share more general common characteristics. For example, lions, tigers and leopards all belong to the genus Panthera.
By discovering a new genus, it means that we have discovered a new branch of the tree of life and the existence of an entire group of organisms previously unknown.
A major argument to continue deep sea explorationaccording to Carolina González of the IMO, also co-director of the study. “ This discovery illustrates the need to maintain our research efforts in the Atacama Trench, particularly in Chilean territorial waters » she explains. Hadal zones are far from being an underwater desert; they shelter a unique biodiversity whose extent we are only just beginning to measure, hence the need to protect them against the upheavals caused by human activity.
- Dulcibella camanchacaa unique predatory shrimp, was identified at a depth of almost 8 km.
- This 4 cm crustacean, equipped with specialized appendages, hunts actively in the total darkness of hadal zones.
- Dulcibella camanchaca is not only a new species, but belongs to a new genus, previously unknown.
