In a study published in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity, scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the US and Universidad de Concepción in Chile described the new species. It is a predator that lives in the Atacama Trench, located 160 km west of the South American coast.
The species was discovered during a research expedition that is part of Chile's new deep-sea integrated observation system.
Predator's name connects the famous novel with darkness
This creature was named Dursibella camanchaca, inspired by the novel Don Quixote. The research team continued the tradition by using the term “Dulsivella” because two similar species were already named after Don Quixote (Dulcinea of Toboso was the lady of Don Quixote's heart) . The second half of the name “camanchaca” can be translated as “darkness.”
“Dulcibella camanchaca is a fast-swimming predator that got its word 'dark' from an Andean language to reflect the deep, dark waters in which it hunts,” said study co-author and WHOI ecologist Johanna Weston. said.
Dulcibella camanchaca is an amphipod, shrimp-like crustacean that typically feeds on residual organic matter. Scientists discovered four individuals of this species at a depth of 7,902 meters.
The predatory shrimp is about 4 cm long, twice the size of its previously known relatives. The white color of amphipods is the standard appearance at dark depths. Dursibella camanchaca uses specialized legs to hunt small shrimp.
Scientists look forward to further discoveries
Dulcibella camanchaca is the first large and active predator of this crustacean group. All other amphipods found at the depths of the Atacama Trench were scavengers. Amphipods (Latin: amphipoda) are crustaceans that live in saltwater and freshwater. They are small invertebrates with bodies that are flattened laterally. Usually, the length is from a few millimeters to a few centimeters. Amphipods are important components of aquatic ecosystems, feeding on dead organic matter and providing food for fish.
– Most interestingly, the DNA and morphological data showed that it is a new species – commented Joanna Weston. Carolina González, an oceanographer at the University of Concepción, agreed, pointing out that the discovery is evidence of the extraordinary biodiversity of the Atacama Trench. – Further discoveries are expected as research continues – says Carolina Gonzalez.
The Atacama Trench, also known as the Peru-Chile Trench, reaches 8 km below the surface and stretches for 5,900 km along the west coast of South America. It is the world's longest ocean trench.
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