Shrouded in darkness and subjected to crushing pressure, the hadal zone – the deepest parts of Earth's ocean – might seem uninhabitable, yet this extraordinary realm supports a surprising variety of species.
A recent study published in Systematics and Biodiversity introduces one such creature: Dulcibella camanchaca, a newly identified crustacean that holds the distinction of being the first large, active predatory amphipod (a group of shrimp-like crustaceans) found at these remarkable depths.
The species was uncovered in the Atacama Trench, a deep-sea canyon off the coast of 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,” explains co-lead author of the study Dr Johanna Weston, a hadal ecologist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
Meet 'darkness'
Measuring nearly four centimetres long, this amphipod uses specialised raptorial appendages to capture and prey on smaller amphipod species.
Its hunting grounds lie within the food-scarce Atacama Trench, a deep-sea canyon exceeding depths of 8,000 metres off northern Chile. The trench, set beneath nutrient-rich surface waters, is geographically isolated from other hadal zones and hosts a unique array of endemic species.
“Most excitingly, the DNA and morphology data pointed to this species being a new genus too, emphasising the Atacama Trench as an endemic hotspot,” Weston adds.
Deep-sea expedition
The discovery was made during the 2023 Integrated Deep-Ocean Observing System (IDOOS) Expedition aboard the research vessel R/V Abate Molina. Four specimens of Dulcibella camanchaca were collected at 7,902 metres depth using a lander vehicle – a free-falling platform equipped with baited traps and other scientific tools.
Back on deck, the specimens were frozen and later analysed for their morphological and genetic traits at the Universidad de Concepción.
“This study's collaborative effort and integrative approach confirmed Dulcibella camanchaca as a new species and highlights ongoing biodiversity discoveries in the Atacama Trench," says Dr Carolina González, co-lead author from the Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía (IMO) responsible for sample collection and DNA analysis.
"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.”
The researchers say that each discovery brings us closer to understanding how life has adapted to these inhospitable environments and contributes to broader efforts to safeguard these fragile ecosystems from threats including pollution and climate change.
Find out more about the study: A new large predator (Amphipoda, Eusiridae) hidden at hadal depths of the Atacama Trench
Main image: ocean floor/Getty
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