Like the crustacean world’s answer to Nosferatu; its name means ‘darkness’ in the languages of the peoples from the Andes, the region from whence the creature came. Here in the depths of that darkness it lurks, making practised used of its raptorial appendages to predate on the vulnerable. So pale, its body is almost translucent; a fine tuned predator and a thing of nightmares.

That is, of course, if your nightmares measure at just under four centimetres in length and live nearly 8,000 metres below sea level. This is the Dulcibella camanchaca, a crustacean that has evolved to not just survive, but thrive in one of Earth’s most extreme environments. It’s also the subject of a fascinating new discovery for science.

While looking like a Ridley Scott creation, the Dulcibella camanchaca is actually the first large, active predatory amphipod (shrimp-like crustacean) to be discovered at such extreme ocean depths providing just the latest – yet one of the most crucial – pieces of the puzzle helping scientists better understand how life has evolved in the deep sea, inarguably one the strangest places on Earth.

Discovered by scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Instituto Milenio de Oceanografia (IMO) based at the Universidad de Concepcion in Chile, the crustacean belongs to a stretch of the Atacama Trench along the eastern South Pacific Ocean where depths exceed 8,000 metres. This is an area that has long fascinated scientists for – located just beneath the nutrient-rich and productive surface waters – this spot is geographically remote from other Hadal environments. It’s here that a community of native species thrive.

“Dulcibella camanchaca is a fast-swimming predator that we named after ‘darkness’ in the languages of the peoples from the Andes region to signify the deep, dark ocean from where it predates,” said Dr Johanna Weston, a Hadal ecologist at WHOI and co-lead author on the study introducing the creature, published in Systematics and Biodiversity.  

“Most excitingly, the DNA and morphology data pointed to this species being a new genus too, emphasising the Atacama Trench as an endemic hotspot.”

This remarkable finding is part of the 2023, Integrated Deep Ocean Observing System (IDOS) Expedition aboard the RV Abate Molina, led by scientists from IMO. Four Dulcibella camanchaca individuals were collected at a depth of 7,902 metres using a lander vehicle – an untethered platform used for carrying scientific equipment, including baited traps, to and from the ocean floor.

Once safely back on the ship’s deck, recovered amphipods were frozen before undergoing detailed morphological and genetic analysis at the Universidad de Concepcion.

“This study’s collaborative effort and integrative approach confirmed Dulcibella camanchaca as a new species and highlights ongoing biodiversity discoveries in the Atacama Trench,” said Dr Carolina Gonzalez, co-lead author from the IMO responsible for sample collection and DNA analysis. “This finding underlines the importance of continued deep-ocean exploration, particularly in Chile’s front yard.

“More discoveries are expected as we continue to study the Atacama Trench.”

As exploration technology advances, scientists also anticipate uncovering more species, each offering insights into the evolutionary pressures and adaptations unique to the deep ocean. The results of this study will contribute to broader efforts to understand deep ocean ecosystems and protect them from emerging threats, such as pollution and climate change.

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