Overview

• Scientists discovered Dulcibella camanchaca, a new species of predatory amphipod, nearly 8,000 meters deep in the Atacama Trench during a 2023 expedition.
• This crustacean, measuring nearly 4 centimeters, uses specialized raptorial appendages to hunt smaller amphipods in the pitch-black, high-pressure environment.
• Genetic and morphological analyses confirmed it as a new species and genus, highlighting the Atacama Trench as a hotspot for unique, endemic biodiversity.
• Unlike most hadal zone species, which are scavengers, Dulcibella camanchaca actively preys on live animals, filling a rare ecological niche in the trench's food-limited ecosystem.
• Researchers emphasize the importance of deep-ocean exploration to uncover more species and better understand these extreme environments, which face threats from climate change and pollution.