Environment

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

But don't panic, because the predator is none other than a... shrimp! It's a rather unique creature, capable of hunting in great depths. Measuring no more than 4 centimeters, Dulcibella camanchaca nevertheless turns out to be a formidable predator! The crustacean is, in fact, equipped with specialized prehensile appendages allowing it to track its prey in the total darkness of the deep sea, indicates the Presse-citron website.

A “fast swimmer”

Thanks to the capture of 4 of these unique shrimp in 2023, researchers from the Instituto Milenio de Oceanographia (IMO) in Chile were able to carry out a host of genetic and morphological analyses. The study’s co-director, Johanna Weston of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, also emphasizes: “This species is a fast swimmer that we named after the word ‘darkness’ in the Andean languages, in reference to the dark environment where it hunts.”

According to the results of the study, revealed in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity, Dulcibella camanchaca is indeed a new species, which belongs to a new taxonomic genus.

Difference between species and genus

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

Species: this is the most specific level, grouping together individuals that physically resemble each other, share a common ancestor and are capable of reproducing with each other to produce fertile offspring.

Genus: this is a broader level, grouping together 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, including previously unknown organisms.

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

(MH with AsD - Source: Presse-citron - Illustration: Unsplash)