Image courtesy of Peter Ng
Joel Kontinen
The giant isopod
has been renamed Bathynomus vaderi due to its resemblance to Darth Vader's
iconic helmet from "Star Wars."
Scientists have discovered a never-before seen isopods,
Bathynomus Valeri belongs to the genus Bathynomus — giant isopods that are abundant in cold, deep waters. It is a "supergiant," weighing over 1 kilograms (2.2 pounds) and growing up to 32.5 centimeters (12.8 inches) long, making it one of the largest known isopods.
The species is named "vaderi" because its head resembles Darth Vader's iconic helmet from "Star".
For the new study,
published Jan. 15 in the journal ZooKeys, the team examined samples caught
by local fishers and found that a few specimens had distinctive physical
features that marked them as a newfound species. The team described B.
vaderi’s pronounced depression in its hip bone and a unique bony ridge
protruding from its coracoid bone that distinguishes it from other supergiant
isopods.
Jacklin Kwan 2025 New supergiant 'Darth Vader' sea bug discovered in South China Sea — and it's absolutely massive | Live Science January 14
Posts
