Trench Living Makes Big

A ‘supergiant’ crustacean measuring 34cm has been found 7km deep in the Kermadec Trench north off the coast of New Zealand. Seven specimens, of which usually measure between 2-3cm, were caught in a trap and captured on film by the team from New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the University of Aberdeen. The creatures have been seen in the Antarctic, where they grew up to 10cm, but these are now dwarfed by this latest find found in one of the deepest places on Earth. Dr Ashley Rowden, from NIWA, said: “It just goes to show that the more you look, the more you find. For such a large and conspicuous animal to go unnoticed for so long is just testament to how little we know about life in New Zealand’s most deep and unique habitat.”