Armored isopods crawl on Roman Perez Jr. Archivesthe seafloor, feasting on fallen carrion. And they can grow quite big.
So big, in fact, scientists reference the largest types as "supergiants." Biologists have identified a new such species, Bathynomus vaderi, named for its resemblance to Star Wars' Darth Vader — though, rest assured, these deep sea animals aren't evil Siths.
They reach a foot long, making them appear as striking 14-legged critters. And in recent years, they've apparently become a delicacy in Vietnam, as they're caught by ocean trawlers.
"Some go as far as claiming it’s more delicious than lobster, the 'king of seafood,'" notes a press release about the discovery from Pensoft Publishers, a science literature publisher. "Some outlets and restaurants even advertise the saleof these 'sea bugs' online on various social media platforms, including how best to cook them!" the release added.
SEE ALSO: The deep sea footage scientists filmed in 2024 is jaw-droppingThe research has been published in the science journal ZooKeys. The four Bathynomus vaderi specimens described came from dealers in coastal Quy Nhơn in south-central Vietnam, and were fished from the South China Sea.
The new identification underscores the great biodiversity of the ocean — much of which we know little about or have yet to find.
"That a species as large as this could have stayed hidden for so long reminds us just how much work we still need to do to find out what lives in Southeast Asian waters," the release noted.
One of the study's authors, Nguyen Thanh So, holding another species of "supergiant" isopod in October 2024. Credit: Peter Ng 
Two Bathynomus vaderi indiviuals. Credit: Rene Ong Ocean research organizations are now vigilantly documenting and mapping the deep sea. Scientists want to shine a light — literally and figuratively — on what's down there.
The implications of knowing are incalculable, particularly as deep sea mineral prospectors prepare to run tank-like industrial equipment across parts of the seafloor. For example, research expeditions have found that ocean life carries great potential for novel medicines. "Systematic searches for new drugs have shown that marine invertebrates produce more antibiotic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory substances than any group of terrestrial organisms," notes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Topics Animals
VidCon 2025: Creators share their mistakes and lessons learned
Best free online courses from MIT
25 TikTok, YouTube and Instagram creators who made it to TV, movies
Best Aeropostale gift card deal: Save $7.50 at Amazon
Elon Musk's DOGE.gov website can apparently be edited by anyone
An Android User's Perspective: Two Weeks with the iPhone 6s, Part 1
NYT Connections hints and answers for December 30: Tips to solve 'Connections' #570.
Best TV deal: Save $400 on the LG B4 55
Best early Prime Day deal: Save 40% on the Ember Mug at Amazon
CES 2025: 7 AI
How to unblock Pornhub for free in Nebraska
Indiana Pacers vs. Boston Celtics 2024 livestream: Watch live
JD Vance calls dating apps 'destructive'
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat 2024 livestream: Watch NBA online
Many Indigenous communities still lack broadband internet. Here's why.
Shop the Owala FreeSip on sale during Amazon's Big Spring Sale
NYT mini crossword answers for December 19
How to unblock xHamster for free
Australian Open 2025 livestream: Watch live tennis for free
Shop iPad deals during Best Buy's Apple savings event
Badass Dutch king has secretly been an airline pilot for 21 years'Star Trek: Discovery' first photo is out of this worldHere's how to watch the Google I/O keynoteGoogle Lens turns your phone into a super8 ridiculous startups you never asked for, but exist nonethelessMeet Team Supreme, a new group of tenacious superheroes with disabilitiesHere's what we know about 'Destiny 2'Badass Dutch king has secretly been an airline pilot for 21 yearsHere's how to watch the Google I/O keynoteReese Witherspoon wants more 'Big Little Lies' as much as you doTravis Scott broke a world record by performing a song 14 times and no one has any idea whyGoogle's 'Instant Apps' for Android are open to all developersTrump's fave vacation spots like MarMan who sued date for texting during 'Guardians 2' probably shouldn't be your heroFive Guys beat InGoogle's 'Instant Apps' for Android are open to all developers'Star Trek: Discovery' first photo is out of this worldWe live in a parallel universe! Wow! Wait, what?3 highs and 1 low from Jeff Kaplan's first year with 'Overwatch'Alright, alright, alright: Matthew McConaughey set for 'Spring Breakers' sequel Accused Capital One hacker 'had no malicious intent,' insists friend Yes, sometimes delivery people sneak bites of your food 'The Cheese Lady' is ready for the next generation of cheese carvers Instagram tests new green screen effect in Stories 640 companies to Trump: Stay the course on clean energy 'Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge' proves Disneyland for childless millennials Reply sections on Twitter are filled with K People are laughing over Drake's 'corny' Obama tribute on Instagram Mark Zuckerberg made a Facebook employee 3D Tesla cars should get YouTube and Netflix in the next update Indian soldier rants about bad food, being forced to sleep on an empty stomach, video goes viral Trump shoots down Apple's Mac Pro request Actually you're not getting that $125 from Equifax, warns the FTC Nintendo will replace a 'Fire Emblem' actor after abuse allegations LinkedIn ranks the 20 highest paying jobs Apple's CareKit apps get enhanced security option Google Pixel 4 uses radar for face unlock and hand gesture detection Twitter tries to list the things Trump finds overrated. You know, besides Meryl Streep. Everything coming to (and going from) Netflix in August 2019 Apple hires contractors to listen to some Siri recordings: Report
3.4707s , 10139.7421875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Roman Perez Jr. Archives】,Evergreen Information Network