Huge Darth Vader -Sea beetle discovered off Vietnam's coast

Huge Darth Vader -Sea beetle discovered off Vietnam's coast

Scientists have identified a new “Supergiant ”art of deep-sea crabs after buying crustaceans from fishermen and restaurants in Vietnam to examine the growing popularity of these living things as local delicacy.

Discovery of Bathynomus Vaderi

The deep-sea cancer now referred to as Bathynomus Vaderi received his name because the researchers found that his head resembles one of the helmets of the iconic “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader. The scientists documented the newly discovered species on Tuesday in the Zookeys and confirmed that certain elements of the body structure of b. Vaderi significantly from other Bathynomus samples in the southern China Sea.

characteristics of the super giant

The super giants under the deep -sea crabs, including b. Vaderi , belong to the family of the isopods, which are marked by their hard, protective exoskeleton and seven pairs of legs. The largest examination examined as part of the study weighed more than 1 kilogram and measure 32.5 centimeters, which b. Vaderi makes one of the largest known isopods in the world.

The body structure of Bathynomus crabs is comparable to many cirolanids from flat waters-the family of the isopods to which they belong-however, these deep sea animals have increased significantly, according to Dr. Conni Sidabalok, a co-author of the study and researcher at the national research and innovation agency in Indonesia.

Most isopods are incredibly small and typically measure less than 2.5 centimeters. These differences in size make the discovery of such a large copy particularly remarkable, explained Dr. Lanna Cheng, emeritus professor of marine biology at the University of California in San Diego, which was not involved in the study.

the identification of a new kind

fischer, the b. Vaderi caught, were about 50 nautical miles in front of the city of quy nhon in southern Vietnam, west of the Spratly Islands.

b. Vaderi lives near the ground and feeds on dead animals, which contributes to the recycling of nutrients in the food chain of the deep sea. Sidabalok noted that the massive bodies of this kind could favor their survival in the ocean depths or offer a competitive advantage over other AASFREBERT.

Currently only 11 well-known "Supergiant" and nine "Giant" species from Bathynomus are documented, with several waiting for a formal description. b. Vaderi is only the second recorded Supergiant Isopoden species that was discovered in the southern China Sea.

The distinction between b. Vaderi of other species, however, was a tedious process for the research team, since this crayfish live in such deep waters.

unique features of B. Vaderi

In contrast to other known supergiant isopods, b. Vaderi A unique feature: The last segment of the hind legs tapered at the end and curves back slightly, the study took out.

about the uniqueness of b. To confirm Vaderi , examined Sidabalok and her colleagues rehearse from museum stocks of different countries and worked with other experts. In addition, the researchers analyzed the DNA of b. Vaderi , but the lack of genetic data for many Bathynomus species presented additional challenges in identification.

The threat from overfishing

In recent years, other species of Bathynomus have been, such as b. Jamesi , became a delicacy in Vietnam, the meat of which is often compared to that of lobster. The researchers report that some copies were sold for up to 2 million Vietnamese Dong in 2017. However, prices dropped with increasing popularity because the crustaceans were caught in larger numbers.

At the beginning of 2024, 1 to 2-kilogram copies were sold for around 1 million Vietnamese Dong. With the discovery of b. Vaderi express concerns scientists such as Sidabalok and Cheng about the possible integration of this kind into the global seafood markets.

Badtonomus are known for their slow reproduction. These supershelled crabs produce only a small number of eggs-in just a few hundreds-that hatch as miniature versions of the adults. Sidabalok noted that this slow reproduction rate makes it particularly susceptible to overfishing.

"These animals do not grow very quickly, and when they become a very unusual and coveted article, there is a risk that we are erasing them," warned Cheng.

The research team believes that b. Vaderi also occurs outside of the coastal waters of Vietnam in other parts of the South China Sea, but the discovery of other species in these depths will take time.

sidabalok hopes that this research paves the way for further investigations by Bathynomus populations and can help the fishermen to develop more sustainable practices. "If we get the opportunity, we would like to carry out further surveys and maybe work with scientists from the region to find out what lives there," added Sidabalok. "There is still so much to learn and discover."