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Among the new crustacean species discovered by scientists in the waters off Indonesia are a crab with green googly eyes, another with peanut-like 'ears,' and a giant sea cockroach, as reported by Channel News Asia.
These discoveries were made during a two-week research expedition by Indonesian and Singaporean scientists as part of the South Java Deep Sea Biodiversity Expedition (SJADES 2018). The team explored deep-sea regions in the Sunda Strait and the Indian Ocean, using tools such as trawls and dredges to bring a variety of deep-sea creatures to the surface, some for the first time.
"The world down there is an alien world," said Peter Ng, the lead scientist of the expedition, in an interview with Channel News Asia. "The waters plunge more than 2000 to 3000 meters [9800 feet], and we have no idea what animal life exists at the bottom."
The giant sea cockroach, officially known as a giant isopod and also nicknamed the Darth Vader isopod, is a newly discovered species in the genus Bathynomus. This creature, almost a foot long, was found more than 4000 feet deep in the ocean. These isopods are sometimes spotted on the ocean floor, where they scuttle around scavenging for dead fish and other animals. This discovery marks the first time this genus has been observed in Indonesia.
Another discovery is a spider crab affectionately called Big Ears, though it doesn't actually have ears. Its peanut-shaped plates serve to protect its eyes.
During the expedition, over 800 species were collected, totaling 12,000 individual animals. Researchers estimate that it will take up to two years to study them all. In addition to 12 species completely new to science, 40 were observed for the first time in Indonesia. Among the more unusual finds were creatures dubbed the chain-saw lobster, ice cream cone worm, and cock-eyed squid.
The giant sea cockroach quickly became a favorite among the researchers, with some crew members even calling it 'cute' and gently cradling it like a baby. For more details on their eerie discoveries, check out the video from Channel News Asia Insider below.
