A species of large sea woodlice reminiscent of the famous “Star Wars” character has been discovered in Vietnam.
Published on 18/01/2025 17:23
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What if Darth Vader had been reincarnated as an abyssal sea animal? Researchers have discovered a new species of bathynomas whose head is reminiscent of the helmet worn by the hero of the Star Wars saga, reported the American channel CNN on Friday January 17. This large crustacean, fished from the seabed off Vietnam, attracted the attention of scientists when it was offered for sale in restaurants and fishmongers in the Southeast Asian country.
-Baptized Bathynomus vaderi in homage to the fictional character created by George Lucas, the new species is described in an article published in the journal ZooKeys by three researchers based in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. Able to measure around thirty centimeters and weigh one kilo, it belongs to a family of crustaceans increasingly prized in Vietnam for the quality of their flesh, often compared to that of lobster, according to the study.
