Dulcibella

Dulcibella camanchaca is a species of amphipod in the monotypic genus Dulcibella.^[a] The species inhabits the Atacama Trench, and is found at depths of nearly 8,000 m (26,000 ft) in the South Pacific Ocean near Chile;^[6][7] this makes it one of the deepest-living predators identified to date, being well adapted to the extreme conditions of the hadal zone.^[8][9]

Dulcibella
Holotype specimen; female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Amphipoda
Family:	Eusiridae
Genus:	Dulcibella Weston & González, 2024
Species:	D. camanchaca
Binomial name
Dulcibella camanchaca Weston & González, 2024[1]

Discovery

The species was first observed during a 2023 oceanographic expedition,^[10] in the process of installing the Integrated Deep-Ocean Observing System (IDOOS), a network of sensors designed to aid scientific research within the Atacama Trench.^[11] The research team used benthic landers to collect specimens from depths nearing 8,000 meters (26,000 ft); for comparison, the altitude of Mount Everest is just over 8,800 meters (28,900 ft). Four specimens were used to describe the species.^[12]

In 2024, Dulcibella camanchaca was formally described by marine biologists Johanna Weston and Carolina González.^[13][14] The identification of D. camanchaca as a new species was confirmed through DNA analysis and detailed morphological examination.^[15] This discovery has contributed to the growing recognition of the Atacama Trench as a region of high biodiversity and endemism.^[16][17]

Continued exploration of these regions is expected to yield further insights into the adaptations and biodiversity of organisms living in extreme conditions.^[18]

Description

Dulcibella camanchaca is larger than most other amphipods found at similar depths, measuring approximately 4 cm (1.6 in) in length.^[19] It exhibits predatory behavior, using specialized appendages to capture and consume smaller crustaceans,^[20] which suggest an ecological role as an active predator in the hadal zone.^[21][22]

Notes

1. The genus name Dulcibella derives from Dulcinea of Don Quixote, consistent with two morphologically similar amphipod genera named after characters from Don Quixote: Cleonardo Stebbing 1888 and Dorotea Corbari, Frutos & Sorbe 2019. The name Dulcinea was already a genus of Coleoptera. Dulcibella appears in medieval English literature.^[1][2][3] The specific epithet camanchaca originates from the Aymara word kamanchaka "darkness", referencing its deep-sea habitat.^[4][5]