Shrimplike Creature Has The Ability To Create Its Own Aluminum Armor

Image credit – DAIJU AZUMA/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Due to the sheer depth of the deepest part of the ocean, there is still a lot about ocean life that we don’t know yet, but what we do know has proven to be extremely fascinating. Such is the case with the discovery and analyzing of a shrimplike creature found at the bottom of the Challenger Deep, about 10,000 meters below the surface of the ocean.

What makes this shrimplike creature so fascinating is how it manages to cope with the crushing pressure of living so deep beneath the surface. Normal amphipods, when faced with such high amounts of pressure even at 4,500 meters deep, tend to “fall apart”, but yet this particular specimen has survived and thrived, thanks to its innate ability to form its own aluminum armor.

Researchers discovered that the creature could form its own personal suit of protective armor by layering aluminum hydroxide gel over the surface of its exoskeleton. The source of the aluminum can be found in ocean sediment which the creature swallows while eating, thus giving it the ability to form its aluminum shell.

Through this discovery, researchers are now one step closer to figuring out how exactly living creatures found in the deepest parts of the ocean are surviving. Isn’t science amazing?

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