Alicella gigantea

Alicella gigantea Latest News

New findings reveal that the rare giant shrimp gigantea is widespread, occurring in 59% of the world’s oceans.

About Alicella gigantea

• Alicella gigantea is a giant amphipod crustacean that can grow up to 34 cm in length, making it one of the largest deep-sea amphipods ever recorded.
• It was long considered extremely rare, with few sightings since its discovery. A major early sighting involved a 28 cm specimen at 5,304 m depth in the North Pacific, but it remained unidentified for years.

Taxonomy and Habitat

• Amphipods are shrimp-like crustaceans with over 10,000 known species, commonly found in a wide range of aquatic environments.
• A. gigantea thrives in deep-sea zones, including:
  • Abyssal depths (3,000–6,000 m), and
  • Hadal zones (>6,000 m).
• It was found at depths up to 6,746 m in areas such as the Murray Fracture Zone in the North Pacific.

Global Distribution and Dataset

• The new research compiled 195 records of A. gigantea from 75 locations across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, covering 15 different seafloor features.
• This data establishes A. gigantea as a globally distributed species, not a localised rarity.
• The Pacific Ocean emerged as the species’ most significant habitat, with 75% of its seafloor area falling within the suitable depth range for the species.

Alicella gigantea FAQs

Q1: What is Alicella gigantea?
Ans: Alicella gigantea is a species of deep-sea amphipod, known for being among the largest amphipods ever recorded, found in the deepest parts of the ocean, including the Mariana Trench.

Q2: How deep is the habitat of Alicella gigantea?
Ans: This species lives at depths of 6,000 to 10,000 meters, making it one of the deepest-dwelling amphipods known to science.

Source: PHY

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