Recent findings highlight that the supergiant amphipod Alicella gigantea is more widespread than previously believed, inhabiting over half of the world’s oceans. This remarkable creature, known for its exceptional range and elusive nature, occupies approximately 59% of the global ocean area, thriving in various deep-sea environments.
Scientists have recently validated that Alicella gigantea now occurs in just about all of the surrounding aquatic environments on our planet. Amphipods walk the seafloor, they’re abundant in the deep sea trenches of 3,000-6,000 meters. They even do some exploratory work in the hadal zones, going deeper than 6,000 meters. The Pacific Ocean provides the biggest possible habitat for this species. It accounts for 75% of the area that falls within habitat-appropriate depth ranges.
Discovery and Habitat
It therefore comes as no surprise that researchers have filmed Alicella gigantea at astonishing depths. One particularly amazing sighting happened at 6,746m deep in the Murray Fracture Zone of the North Pacific Ocean. A underwater video documented a stunning 28 cm-long individual. It was located at the incredible depth of 5,304 m in the abyssal North Pacific. These findings are a testament to the amphipod’s resilience and distribution across varied marine environments.
The distribution of Alicella gigantea covers the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Over 195 individual records have provided a wealth of nearly 75 different including 195 records of this species at over 75 locations, representing 15 different seafloor features. This wide assortment perhaps demonstrates the amphipod’s adaptability to multiple deep-sea environments.
Genetic Analysis and Diversity
Scientists have recently noted how common Alicella gigantea appears to be. They caution that its genetic diversity and population structure are still poorly described. Prior to this study, DNA sequence data was only available for a mere seven studies. New phylogenomic analyses using two mitochondrial genes (16S, COI) and one nuclear gene (28S) from recently collected specimens.
As scientists like Kikinger continue to study Alicella gigantea, they hope to learn more about its genetic makeup and population dynamics. This kind of understanding would go a long way toward revealing how this equally swift and mysterious species plays its part among the rest of the marine community.
An Elusive Creature
Alicella gigantea had disappeared from human view for almost 20 years. Its deep-sea habitat and rarity overall made it hard to find and study for curious researchers. In recent years, increasing advocacy and research have raised awareness of its prevalence and ecological importance across many marine ecosystems.
While more than 10,000 species of amphipods are known, Alicella gigantea is notable for both its size and depth range. The new findings underscore the importance of continued exploration and research in understanding deep-sea biodiversity and the roles these organisms play in their habitats.
“Fresh caught specimen of the supergiant amphipod A. gigantea, from 6746 m in the Murray Fracture Zone, North Pacific Ocean.” – phys.org
