Clash of giant termite species

Oil field workers in the Gulf of Mexico have encountered giant sea termites up to a meter long for submarine exploration of the seabed at a depth of nearly 3 km.

It is a creepy insect, living at a depth of 2.6 km below the sea surface. They are thought to be the most massive cuckoo ever found at this depth.

Interestingly, the discovery was published on April 1, so many people suspected this was a trick. However, experts quickly noted the findings.

Photograph of a giant sea termite picked up by sailors

Craig McClain, assistant director of science for the National Center for National Evolution, in South Carolina, confirmed: "I have observed the photograph and confirmed it to be completely true. It has the ability to strike. The size of the animal catches them is equal, just like the wooden termite in your garden, they are very popular creatures in the Gulf of Mexico .

The scientific name of the above termite species is Bathynomus , a relative of a woody termite species, but different from one another.

While wood termites are only about 1.5cm long, their sea relatives are up to 1m long. They have 7 legs, the front legs are used to collect and put food into four jaws. This marine termite is a scavenger animal, favorite food is dead whale meat, fish and shrimp.

The front legs are used to bring food into the mouth

According to scientists, this sea termite is very popular in cold and deep waters in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In addition, many other crustaceans and invertebrates also tend to be larger than their counterparts in shallow water.

Explaining the phenomenon, the scientists put forward many theories about their evolution, possibly related to colder temperatures, higher pressures or the scarcity of food sources .