A 'Giant' Crustacean Scavenger Has Been Discovered Deep in The Ocean JOHANNA WESTON, THE CONVERSATION 2 JUNE 2021 Discovering a new species and placing it on the tree of life is a big responsibility. I have been fortunate to name four species from some of the deepest, most remote and least sampled parts of the ocean. Each new species helps us uncover how life thrives in the hadal zone (anywhere deeper than 6,000 meters or 3.7 miles). Now, let me introduce you to
E. atacamensis is an amphipod, a type of crustacean closely related to a shrimp, endemic to the Peru-Chile Trench (also known as the Atacama Trench). Measuring more than 8 centimeters (3 inches) in length, it is nearly twice the size of its nearest relative, making it a giant.