Dulcibella camanchaca

About Dulcibella camanchaca: 

• It is a new predatory amphipod species.
• It was found at a depth of 7,902 meters in the Atacama Trench.
• It has been classified within the Eusiridae family and represents a newly identified genus, marking a significant addition to the catalogue of deep-sea biodiversity.
• Features
  • It measure just under 4 centimetres and is larger than its closest relatives and exhibits unique features, such as raptorial appendages called gnathopods, used for hunting smaller organisms.
  • Unlike scavenging amphipods commonly found in trenches, this species actively preys on other amphipods, playing a crucial role in the deep-sea food web.
  • It is a fast-swimming predator that we named after 'darkness' in the languages of the peoples from the Andes region.
  • It has pale colouring, a common trait in deep-sea species, enhances its ability to thrive in its pitch-black environment.

Key points about the Atacama Trench

• The Atacama Trench stretches along the eastern South Pacific Ocean, plunging to depths exceeding 8,000 m off the coast of northern Chile.
• It is part of the hadal zone, a region characterised by intense pressure, near-freezing temperatures, and complete darkness.
• It is one of the most geographically isolated hadal features and is situated below eutrophic surface waters and characterized by high sediment loads.

Q1: What are Ocean trenches?

These are long, narrow depressions on the seafloor. These chasms are the deepest parts of the ocean—and some of the deepest natural spots on Earth. Ocean trenches are found in every ocean basin on the planet, although the deepest ocean trenches ring the Pacific as part of the so-called “Ring of Fire” that also includes active volcanoes and earthquake zones.

Source: Scientists find alien-like predator in the depths of the ocean, call it 'Darkness'