Imagine a bug - similar tool that ’s the distance of a small dog . It ’s not a comforting picture , but it ’s one you might descend across if you ever venture into the depths of the sea . late , scientists identify a new species of these giant isopods and identify it after theStar Warsvillain , Darth Vader .
According to astudypublished in the journalZooKeys , researchers from Hanoi University obtained four giant isopod from Vietnamese fishermen in Quy Nhơn City in March of 2022 . The researchers noted their distinctclypeal region(face collection plate ) and uniquepleotelson(the ending body structure of a crustaceous soundbox ) . The former resemble the helmet of the iconic character it was ultimately diagnose after .
Popular Sciencereports that the scientists from Hanoi University teamed up with experts from the National University of Singapore , the National Research and Innovation Agency Indonesia , and the Vietnam National University to study the specimens . The team recognize they belonged to a metal money of gargantuan isopod that had yet to be identified .
Giant isopods , which belong to theBathynomusgenus , can acquire to be over 11 inches , but the biggest 1 reach nearly 20 inches in duration .Bathynomus vaderi’ssize puts in the “ supergiant ” isopod class at 12.7 inches long and 2.2 pounds in weight .
Although the Vietnamese name for gargantuan isopods isbọ biển , which translates to “ sea bugs , ” these behemothsaren’t bugs . Their closest relatives are maritime crustaceans , such as runt and crabs . birth control pill bugs are also tight related to them . gargantuan isopod are gourmet as well . While they can last a while without a repast , they ’ll gorge themselves when feeding time arrives . Dee Ann Auten , an Aquarist II at the Aquarium of the Pacific , told Mental Floss in 2022 , “ When they‘re hungry , and they‘re eating , { we ’ll } definitely have a caboodle of food around them because they‘ll keep eating . ” Their carnivorous diet consists of dead animals that have fallen to the ocean base , but evidence suggests that they also banquet on easy - moving beast like sponge .
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