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amphipods - Source: Supplied
The largest known examples of amphipods have been discovered in deep waters off New Zealand's coast.
The supergiant creatures were discovered in the Kermadec Trench, north of New Zealand, on a recent expedition.
Scientists from the University of Aberdeen and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) had been trying to determine how far down fish could be found when they discovered the crustaceans.
The scientists used a camera and a large trap submerging it 6900 to 9900 metres.
The team pulled up the trap and discovered that amongst hundreds of normal amphipods lay several which were 10 to 14 times larger than any of the others.
The voyage leader, Dr Alan Jamieson from the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab said he looked and said "what on earth is that?" seeing an amphipod far bigger than he ever thought possible.
These new sightings and specimens of the supergiant are the biggest ever caught at 28 centimetres long and is the deepest they have ever been found at 7000 metres deep.
Amphipods are usually two to three centimetres long with the exception of the slightly larger giant amphipod found in Antarctica. These supergiants dwarf the Antarctic giant.
Dr Ashley Rowden from NIWA in Wellington 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."
The supergiant and the fish specimens are now in storage at
Niwa's laboratory in Wellington.
