Published 14:39 IST, August 19th 2020
Huge Darth Vader Bug Species found near Indonesian waters; Read here
Researchers have recently discovered the first new giant isopod species in waters near Indonesia. These species are popularly referred to as 'Darth Vader'.
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Researchers have recently discovered the first new giant isopod species in waters near Indonesia. An isopod is a marine, terrestrial or freshwater creature that has seven pairs of legs. Further, these creatures are capable of crawling. The buglike creature is called Bathynomus Raksasa. The sea bug approximately measures 13 inches in length.
These species were also popularly referred to as "Darth Vader of the Seas". They were probably called so since their heads resembled the helmet of Sith Lord. These species can grow up to 20 inches in length. In 2018, this species was found in the Indian Ocean. The Bathynomus Raksasa derives its name from the Indonesian word Rakasa, meaning giant. This is the first largest isopod specie that has been found in a decade.
About the Bathynomus Raksasa species:
The Bathynomus Raksasa marine life species was reportedly found at a depth of about 3,117 and 4,134 feet in the ocean. Scientists were reportedly on an expedition called South Java Deep-Sea Biodiversity Expedition. During the expedition, 2 Bathynomus Raksasa specimens were discovered by researchers i.e. a male and a female specimen.
This sea bug species seemed to have a unique shape. The giant bugs had a head shield along with abdominal segments. They also had several spines on their abdomen ranging between 11 to 13 in number. These factors indicated that the Bathynomus Raksasa species was a new species.One of the South Java Deep-Sea Biodiversity Expedition members, Muhammad Dzaki Bin Safaruan said that the staff members could not ‘contain their excitement’ when they caught a glimpse of the Bathynomus Raksasa species.
Discovering the Bathynomus Raksasa species:
The researcher of Tropical Marine Science Institute at the National University of Singapore, Helen Wong spoke about the discovery of this species. According to Wong, the identification of the Bathynomus Raksasa species showed how the oceans were yet unexplored. Wong also said that they had to explore the biodiversity of their oceans much more.
More about isopod species:
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, most isopods share common characteristics or features. Some of these features include two pairs of antennae and four sets of jaws. Most species also have compound eyes. Isopods have a segmented body comprising of seven sections. According to a research journal, out of the 16 Bathynomus species that have been discovered, 7 belong to the family of ‘supergiants’. These species mature when they reached a 6-inch length.
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14:39 IST, August 19th 2020