The creature's unique structure soon earned in the nickname "Darth Vader of the seas," due to its striking resemblance to the Star Wars character of the former Jedi knight who was seduced by the dark side of the Force, becoming an evil Sith Lord.
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According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the so-called "Darth" of the deep is an isopod, a type of crustacean that has segmented exoskeletons, compound eyes, two pairs of antennae, and four sets of jaws. It can live on land or in the sea.
The institute noted that while most isopods are less than an inch in length, Bathynomus raksasa measures at a whopping 13 inches.
"These giant isopods exhibit what is known as deep-sea gigantism, in which some animals found in the deep sea tend to be much larger than their relatives in shallow waters," a statement carried by Fox News said.
The male and female specimens were found between 3,116 and 4,133 feet below the ocean surface, researchers said.
It also has an oddly shaped head shield and abdominal segments and the "large number (11–13) of spines on the pleotelson," making it a new species.
Only 16 B. raksasa specimens have been previously discovered. However, seven of them are considered "supergiants," at more than 12 inches in length, the researchers added.
"The identification of this new species is an indication of just how little we know about the oceans," study co-author Helen Wong said in the statement. "There is certainly more for us to explore in terms of biodiversity in the deep sea of our region."
Fox News noted that B. raksasa is not the only creature to have lived that resembles the Sith Lord. In December 2017, researchers found a 245-million-year-old fossil of a horseshoe crab that also resembled Vader.
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