At just 6.5 millimeters long, this previously unknown new species of microscopic crustacean has been discovered in the abyss of the North Pacific. Scientists have wanted to pay tribute to the heavy metal band Metallica , naming the little crustacean as Macrostylis metallicola .
The worm-like creature in question, lacking eyes or pigmentation, lives some 4,000-5,000 meters in the Clipperton Fracture Zone with a pressure 400 times that of our atmosphere; It is a marine habitat located between Hawaii and Mexico that has generated growing scientific and public interest for its wealth in precious metals.
The group has not missed the opportunity to post such a mention on its Instagram account.
“The powerful music of Metallica has been with me most of my life. Songs like 'Master of Puppets' and 'One' are outstanding masterpieces in rock history and I am delighted to be able to give something back to the band by naming a new species after them. ”Torben Riehl, leader of the work published by Peerj magazine .
"Very few people are aware that the vast and largely unexplored depths of the oceans are home to strange and unknown creatures, like our new crustacean Metallica. These species are part of the Earth system that we all depend on ; the sea plays a role. in this system as it is linked to the climate, as well as to the food webs of the oceans ", clarifies Riehl.
