A few days ago, in a sea far, far away . . . A team of scientists discovered a new species of giant sea bug off the coast of Vietnam. The team of researchers, from Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, announced the discovery on January 14, 2025. The newly discovered species is a type of giant isopod. This crustacean is 12.8 inches (32.5 cm) long. But it’s not just the size that’s impressive. Its head closely resembles the iconic helmet of Darth Vader, the most famous Sith Lord from the Star Wars franchise. Hence its name, Bathynomus vaderi.
The researchers published their peer-reviewed study on January 14, 2025, in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
Discovery of the new species of giant sea bug
Giant isopods can reach more than 11.8 inches (30 cm) in length and weigh more than a kilogram. Impressive! So, you might wonder how such a large creature has not been discovered until now.
The curious thing is that Vietnamese fishermen have been fishing and consuming giant isopods for a long time. In fact, until 2017, they were sold as a bycatch product, at low prices. However, in recent years, the media has drawn public attention to this unusual creature. Some people even claim this crustacean is tastier than lobster.
In March 2022, staff at the University of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, purchased four giant isopod individuals and sent two of them to Peter Ng of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore for identification.
Peter Ng runs a crustacean laboratory in Singapore and has worked on deep-sea fauna from many parts of Asia. He recruited Conni M. Sidabalok of Indonesia’s National Agency for Research and Innovation. Then, Nguyen Thanh Son of Vietnam National University, a resident crustacean researcher there, joined the team.
The Dark Side of the ocean
In early 2023, the researchers realized they had specimens of a previously undescribed species of the Bathynomus genus. They have finally named the new creature Bathynomus vaderi, in honor of Darth Vader.
There are about 10,000 species of isopods in the world. The genus Bathynomus comprises about 20 species. They can typically be found in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
In the case of the newly discovered species Bathynomus vaderi, it has only been found near the Spratly Islands in Vietnam. But further research is likely to confirm its presence in other parts of the South China Sea.
According to the researchers:
The discovery of a species as strange as Bathynomus vaderi in Vietnam highlights just how poorly we understand the deep-sea environment. That a species as large as this could have stayed hidden for so long reminds us just how much work we still need to do to find out what lives in Southeast Asian waters.
Bottom line: Are you a fan of Star Wars? If Darth Vader is your favorite character, you will love this news! A recently discovered species of giant sea bug received was named for this iconic character. Find out why here.
Read more: The adorable leaf sheep sea slug: Lifeform of the week
Read more: Lifeform of the week: Axolotls, the key to eternal youth?
The post New species of giant sea bug named for Darth Vader first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/dIzPqs3
A few days ago, in a sea far, far away . . . A team of scientists discovered a new species of giant sea bug off the coast of Vietnam. The team of researchers, from Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, announced the discovery on January 14, 2025. The newly discovered species is a type of giant isopod. This crustacean is 12.8 inches (32.5 cm) long. But it’s not just the size that’s impressive. Its head closely resembles the iconic helmet of Darth Vader, the most famous Sith Lord from the Star Wars franchise. Hence its name, Bathynomus vaderi.
The researchers published their peer-reviewed study on January 14, 2025, in the open-access journal ZooKeys.
Discovery of the new species of giant sea bug
Giant isopods can reach more than 11.8 inches (30 cm) in length and weigh more than a kilogram. Impressive! So, you might wonder how such a large creature has not been discovered until now.
The curious thing is that Vietnamese fishermen have been fishing and consuming giant isopods for a long time. In fact, until 2017, they were sold as a bycatch product, at low prices. However, in recent years, the media has drawn public attention to this unusual creature. Some people even claim this crustacean is tastier than lobster.
In March 2022, staff at the University of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, purchased four giant isopod individuals and sent two of them to Peter Ng of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore for identification.
Peter Ng runs a crustacean laboratory in Singapore and has worked on deep-sea fauna from many parts of Asia. He recruited Conni M. Sidabalok of Indonesia’s National Agency for Research and Innovation. Then, Nguyen Thanh Son of Vietnam National University, a resident crustacean researcher there, joined the team.
The Dark Side of the ocean
In early 2023, the researchers realized they had specimens of a previously undescribed species of the Bathynomus genus. They have finally named the new creature Bathynomus vaderi, in honor of Darth Vader.
There are about 10,000 species of isopods in the world. The genus Bathynomus comprises about 20 species. They can typically be found in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
In the case of the newly discovered species Bathynomus vaderi, it has only been found near the Spratly Islands in Vietnam. But further research is likely to confirm its presence in other parts of the South China Sea.
According to the researchers:
The discovery of a species as strange as Bathynomus vaderi in Vietnam highlights just how poorly we understand the deep-sea environment. That a species as large as this could have stayed hidden for so long reminds us just how much work we still need to do to find out what lives in Southeast Asian waters.
Bottom line: Are you a fan of Star Wars? If Darth Vader is your favorite character, you will love this news! A recently discovered species of giant sea bug received was named for this iconic character. Find out why here.
Read more: The adorable leaf sheep sea slug: Lifeform of the week
Read more: Lifeform of the week: Axolotls, the key to eternal youth?
The post New species of giant sea bug named for Darth Vader first appeared on EarthSky.
from EarthSky https://ift.tt/dIzPqs3
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