CNN – Scientists have newly identified a “supergiant” sea bug species after purchasing crustaceans from fishermen and restaurants in Vietnam to study the growing popularity of the creatures as a local delicacy.
The deep-sea critter, now called Bathynomus vaderi, got its name after researchers noticed its head shared a resemblance to the helmet worn by iconic “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader.
The scientists officially described the newfound species on Tuesday in the journal ZooKeys, confirming that some elements of B. vaderi’s body structure differed greatly from other Bathynomus specimens found in the South China Sea.
The largest specimen in the study weighed more than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) and measured 32.5 centimeters long (12.8 inches), making B. vaderi one of the world’s largest known isopods.
The overall body structure of Bathynomus crustaceans is similar to many shallow-water cirolanids — the isopod family it belongs to — but these deep-sea creatures have evolved to be significantly larger, according to study coauthor Dr. Conni Sidabalok, a researcher with the National Research and Innovation Agency in Indonesia. [IMAGE]
Most isopods are incredibly small, typically measuring less than 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in length. This disparity in size makes the discovery of such a huge specimen particularly remarkable, said Dr. Lanna Cheng, professor emeritus of marine biology at the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved in the study.
Identifying a species that’s new to science
Study coauthor Dr. Conni Sidabalok, of the National Research and Innovation Agency in Indonesia, examines Bathynomus vaderi specimens at Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore.
Fishermen who caught B. vaderi were deep-sea trawling in the South China Sea about 50 nautical miles offshore of the city of Quy Nhon in south-central Vietnam, which is west of the Spratly Islands.
B. vaderi are bottom dwellers that feed on dead animals, recycling nutrients as part of the deep-sea food chain …
