The newly discovered predator sheds light on the surprising creatures that have evolved to thrive in some of the world's most extreme environments.

Characterized by darkness and intense pressure, the ocean's hadal zone seems uninhabitable, yet dozens of unique organisms call it home. Each species discovered there adds a crucial piece to the puzzle of how life has evolved and even thrives in one of Earth's most extreme environments.

Researchers exploring the extreme depths of the Pacific Ocean's Atacama Trench say they have discovered an entirely new species of predator.

"More discoveries are expected as we continue to study the Atacama Trench," researcher Carolina González said.

A new-to-science predator has been identified from the hadal depths of the Atacama Trench, a first for this island-like ecosystem in the Southeast Pacific. Here, scientists had loaded bait traps with some chicken in an effort to lure in some scavengers and instead found themselves with a whopping great predatory amphipod– something that had been