Giant Discovery in the Tonga Trench

7,500 metres deep in the Tonga Trench researchers from ‪@deepseauwa‬ trap a giant amphipod 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘎𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘢 while aboard RV Dagon. ‪@inkfishexpeditions‬
Belonging to the Alicellidae family this crustacean is the largest amphipod ever observed and can grow to 34cm. They inhabit the hadal zone (over 6000 metres deep) and have adapted to the high pressure environment. They mostly scavenge on organic material that descends from the surface and overall they play an important role in nutrient recycling in the #deepsea.
This amphipod will be preserved and brought back to their lab in Perth, Western Australia where they will use a variety of techniques to understand how it’s adapted to survive in the conditions of the deep sea.