Fishermen who caught B. vaderi were deep-sea trawling in the South China Sea about 50 nautical miles offshore of the city of Quy Nhon in south-central Vietnam, which is west of the Spratly Islands. B. vaderi are bottom dwellers that feed on dead animals, recycling nutrients as part of the deep-sea food chain, Sidabalok said.

A marine crustacean that looks like Darth Vader’s helmet has been recognised as a new species, but it could be under threat from trawling due to its popularity in Vietnamese restaurants

Discover Bathynomus vaderi, a newly identified giant isopod species from Vietnam’s deep seas, named after Darth Vader.