Deep-Sea Predator Built for Killing Discovered 8,000 Meters Underwater

With all this drone/UFO bullshit going on in the northeast, aliens have been top-of-mind for many of us. To add fuel to the already raging fire, scientists just discovered a deep-sea alien.

Okay, so it’s not necessarily an alien—but this creepy-looking deep-sea creature, also called Dulcibella camanchaca, is a predator with a body made for “capturing, killing, and feasting,” the research article notes. Sorry to show you the photo—neither of us will get any sleep tonight.

“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 researcher Dr. Johanna Weston, the study’s co-lead author and a hadal ecologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). 

This crustacean is 4 centimeters long and was discovered nearly 8,000 meters deep. It captures its prey using specialized raptorial appendages, which helps it latch on to smaller amphipod species.

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

“This study’s collaborative effort and integrative approach confirmed Dulcibella camanchaca as a new species and highlights ongoing biodiversity discoveries in the Atacama Trench,” added Dr. Carolina González, co-lead author. “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,” Dr. González said.