Alicella gigantea

Recent research has revealed that Alicella gigantea, a rarely seen giant amphipod, is more widespread than previously believed, inhabiting 59% of the world’s oceans.

Overview of Alicella gigantea

Alicella gigantea is an exceptionally large deep-sea amphipod crustacean, capable of growing up to 34 centimeters in length, ranking it among the largest amphipods ever documented. Once thought to be extremely rare, it was seldom observed after its initial discovery. One notable early encounter involved a 28 cm individual found at a depth of 5,304 meters in the North Pacific, which went unidentified for many years.

Classification and Habitat

Amphipods are a diverse group of shrimp-like crustaceans, with over 10,000 species found in a variety of aquatic habitats.
A. gigantea is adapted to life in the deep sea, specifically in:

• Abyssal zones (3,000–6,000 meters), and
• Hadal zones (depths exceeding 6,000 meters).
  It has been recorded at depths as great as 6,746 meters, such as in the Murray Fracture Zone of the North Pacific.

Global Presence and Study Data

The latest study compiled 195 individual records of A. gigantea from 75 distinct locations across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, spanning 15 unique underwater features.
These findings confirm that A. gigantea is a globally distributed species rather than a narrowly endemic one.
The Pacific Ocean, in particular, supports the largest portion of the species’ range, with 75% of its seafloor area falling within the appropriate depth range for this amphipod.