Supergiant amphipod, found in deep seas off New Zealand

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/green/wildlife-news/120202/supergiant-amphipod-monster-crustacean-found-new-zealand

Fe. 2, 20012

Supergiant amphipod, monster crustacean, found in deep seas off New Zealand

Scientists found a huge crustacean, known as a "supergiant," in a deep oceanic trench off the coast of New Zealand.



A "supergiant" amphipod has been discovered in deep seas near New Zealand, said to be more than 10 times the size of other crustaceans of the same type.

The creature, spotted more than four miles deep in the Kermadec oceanic trench, measures 34cm (about 13 inches) long, the BBC reported. Usually, amphipods are between 2 and 3cm.

"It's a bit like finding a foot-long cockroach," said one of the scientists that discovered it, Dr. Alan Jamieson of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

When supergiant first showed itself, Jamieson said, "I stopped and thought 'What on earth is that?' whilst catching a glimpse of an amphipod far bigger than I ever thought possible."


..more..