Enormous Crustaceans Thrive in Half of the Ocean’s Deep Floor

Giant crustaceans akin to large white shrimp are far more prevalent in the deep sea than previously thought, with their habitats spanning across a significant portion of the seabed.

“For a long time, we’ve labeled this species as rare. We often consider everything in the deep sea as rare,” said Paige Maroni from the University of Western Australia. “However, in reality, these species are likely more interconnected than we anticipated.”

Alicella Gigantea is recognized as the largest amphipod globally, measuring up to 34 centimeters in length. Despite this, locating this “super giant,” which resides on the ocean floors, has proven challenging. “The deep sea is extremely hard to access and has been understudied for many years, but we are finally making progress,” Maroni commented.

She and her team documented 75 sightings of A. Gigantea, tracing back to the initial specimen collections from 1899. These included finds from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. They also employed DNA analysis from specimens across all three oceans to identify genetic relationships among varying populations.

They discovered that the specimens were collected from depths between 3890 and 8931 meters. Their estimates suggest that approximately 59% of the seabed lies within this depth range. Although the genetic data is spread across this vast area, it indicates a singular genetically similar species, despite the diversity suggested by the specimens.

Maroni asserts this implies that these crustaceans occupy a far larger expanse of seabed than previously indicated by their limited collections. The 59% figure, based purely on depth, represents the most extensive habitat range known, albeit influenced by existing knowledge regarding these organisms.