Newly found predatory crustacean within the depths of the Atacama Trench

of atacama trench It stretches along the eastern South Pacific, dropping to depths of more than 8,000 meters off the coast of northern Chile.

The deepest 45% of the ocean (6,000-11,000 m), the Hadar Zone, contains high levels of undiscovered biodiversity.

Most geological formations are characterized by grooves formed in subduction zones between tectonic plates, which are formed by a series of unique external and internal factors.

The Atacama Trench, or Peru-Chile Trench, is one of the most geographically isolated landforms, located beneath eutrophic surface waters and characterized by high sediment loads.

This trench is known to host highly distinctive faunal assemblages driven by a combination of these isolating factors.

“The deep sea is a vast trove of new species for science, and each discovery deepens our ecological understanding of these remote ecosystems,” said researcher Johanna Weston of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and colleagues.

“One such island-like ecosystem is the Atacama Trench, where unique endemic communities exist at hadal depths (more than 6,000 meters).”

“Unlike other Hadal subduction ditch communities, it is a predatory (non-predatory) amphipod It has not been documented or collected from the Atacama Trench. ”

The newly discovered species dursibela kamanchakathe first large active predatory amphipod discovered at these extreme depths.

This crustacean, about 4 cm long, uses specialized raptor appendages to capture and prey on small amphipods in food-limited areas of the Atacama Trench.

“Most interestingly, the DNA and morphological data indicate that this species is also a new genus, highlighting the Atacama Trench as a unique hotspot,” Dr. Weston said. .

The discovery was made during the 2023 Integrated Deep Ocean Observing System (IDOOS) expedition. R/V Abate Molina.

4 dursibela kamanchaka Individuals were collected using a lander at a depth of 7,902 m. Landers are untethered platforms used to shuttle scientific equipment, such as baited traps, to the ocean floor and back.

“The collaborative and integrative approach of this research is confirmed.” dursibela kamanchaka This is a new species discovered and highlights the ongoing discovery of biodiversity in the Atacama Trench,” said Dr. Carolina González, a researcher at the Instituto Milenio de Oceanografía.

“This discovery highlights the importance of continued deep-sea exploration, especially in the Chilean forecourt.”

“We expect more discoveries as we continue to study the Atacama Trench.”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper in a diary Systematics and biodiversity.

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Joanna New Jersey Weston others. 2024. A new large predator (family Lycoptidae, Eucilidae) hiding in the depths of the Atacama Trench. Systematics and biodiversity 22 (1): 2416430;doi: 10.1080/14772000.2024.2416430