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Context:

• Recently, A new deep sea predator has been discovered in the Atacama Trench.
• It is named Dulcibella camanchaca.
• It is very small but has strong hunting abilities. These abilities make it a powerful creature in its underwater environment.

About Dulcibella Camanchaca:

• Dulcibella camanchaca is a newly discovered amphipod (a shrimp like marine animal).
• It is the 1st known predatory amphipod found in the hadal zone, which is over 6 000 meters deep in the ocean.
• Most amphipods eat dead material. But this creature is an active predator. It uses appendages to catch & eat other organisms.
• Most deep sea creatures search for food due to lack of food, but this amphibian hunts live prey.
• It lives in one of the toughest environments on Earth, with freezing temperatures & pressure more than 1000 times higher than at sea level.

Name and Meaning:

• The name Dulcibella comes from Dulcinea. It is a character from Don Quixote.
• Since Dulcibella was already used for another species. So researchers chose "camanchaca". it means "darkness" in some South American languages because the creature lives in complete darkness.

About Atacama Trench:

• The Atacama Trench is located in the eastern South Pacific Ocean (coast of northern Chile)
• It has 8000 meters and it is part of the hadal zone.
• The hadal zone is known for its extreme pressure, near freezing temperatures, & complete darkness.
• The Atacama Trench is one of the most isolated & unique areas in the hadal zone. It is sitting under eutrophic surface waters with high sediment levels.

 Source: TOI