
Deep-Sea Amphipods Hitch Rides on Giant Sea Spiders to Traverse the Pacific
Researchers observed tiny amphipods clinging to giant sea spiders in the deep Pacific, suggesting a hitchhiking strategy for dispersal and mating.
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Researchers observed tiny amphipods clinging to giant sea spiders in the deep Pacific, suggesting a hitchhiking strategy for dispersal and mating.

Researchers describe 24 new amphipod species from the central Pacific's Clarion-Clipperton Zone, including a previously unknown family (Mirabestiidae) and a new superfamily (Mirabestioidea), plus two new genera. The work, part of the International Seabed Authority's SSKI One Thousand Reasons initiative, used collaborative taxonomy workshops and produced the first molecular barcodes for several species. The findings underscore the CCZ's largely undocumented biodiversity and suggest that, at current rates, eastern CCZ could be nearly fully cataloged within a decade, highlighting the importance of global collaboration for conservation and policy.