A miniature, yet formidable predator has just been discovered at the bottom of the Pacific

A predatory amphipod, Dulcibella camanchaca, was captured around 8 kilometres below the surface of the Atacama Trench, or Peru-Chile Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean, west of South America.

But don't panic, as this predator is none other than a… shrimp! It's quite a unique creature, capable of hunting at great depths. Measuring no more than 4 centimetres, Dulcibella camanchaca nevertheless proves to be a formidable predator! The crustacean is equipped with specialised prehensile appendages that allow it to track its prey in the total darkness of the deep sea, as noted by the site Presse-citron.

A "fast swimmer"

Thanks to the capture of 4 of these unique shrimps in 2023, researchers from Chile's Instituto Milenio de Oceanographia (IMO) have been able to conduct a plethora of genetic and morphological analyses. The study’s co-director, Johanna Weston of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, also highlights: "This species is a fast swimmer, which we named after the word ‘darkness’ in the Andean languages, referring to the shadowy environment where it hunts.”

And according to the study’s results, revealed in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity, Dulcibella camanchaca is indeed a new species, belonging to a new taxonomic genus.

Difference between Species and Genus

The website Presse-citron informs us about the difference between species and genus:

• Species: This is the most specific level, grouping individuals that physically resemble each other, share a common ancestor, and are capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring.
• Genus: This is a broader level, grouping several species that share more general common characteristics.

Because scientists have discovered a new genus, a new branch of the tree of life has just been brought to light, comprising previously unknown organisms.

And Carolina González of the IMO, also a co-director of the study, explains that “this discovery illustrates the need to maintain our research efforts in the Atacama Trench, particularly in the Chilean territorial waters.”

(MH with R.Liset - Source: Presse-citron - Illustration: ©Unsplash)