‘MIDNIGHT ZONE’

‘Giant’ Shrimp Found in Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea Expedition

The shrimp was larger than a human hand and found at such depths that it was able to grow without predators around.

A shrimp larger than a human hand was found in a deep-sea expedition in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, The Miami Herald reports. The shrimp was reportedly found between 3,937 and 4,921 feet below sea level, and was described as being a “blood red” color. The “giant” shrimp was pictured next to a normal sized one, which was about the size of a fingernail. Expedition member Tamara Frank wrote that “gigantism in animals is found exclusively” in the deep-sea “midnight zone,” or below 3,280 feet. Frank said animals can grow to relatively enormous sizes in the deep sea due to the lack of predators, but she also said food was scarce—making giant deep-sea animals a rarity.