The ocean remains a humbling and dynamic conundrum every time some unknown or fantastic creature rears its strange and sometimes very bizarre head.
In this case, the species is not unknown and has a name, Bathynomus giganteus. Still, it is not a common sight to see an isopod the size of 2.5 feet!
What is an isopod anyway?
There are about 4,000 different species of isopods around the world and the word derives from two Greek ones, “iso” meaning similar or equal” and “pod” meaning foot.
These creatures are crustaceans, distant relatives of crabs, shrimp and crayfish, with a segmented outer shell that protects them from predators and the environment.
They are known for their 14 legs, which all function in the same manner. This distinguishes them from other similar creatures whose legs are modified to perform diverse tasks, such as walking, feeding, feeling, grasping, etc.
Isopods breathe through gill-like structures located at the bases of their legs, which again differentiates them from other organisms of their ilk that get oxygen through their lungs.
It is for this reason that they must keep moist at all times or they will die.
A user named Gwynzer, who works for a Sub-sea Survey Company, posted the photos shown on Reddit.
“Recently this beast came up attached to one of our ROVs. It measures a wee bit over 2.5 feet head to tail, and we expect it latched onto the ROV at roughly 8500 feet depth. Unfortunately, the e-mail that these pictures were attached to came from a contractor, and the ship he was operating from (and therefore the location) is unknown…” said Gwynzer.
Most isopods are bottom-dwellers or are associated with water plants in freshwater or marine habitats.
Some isopods roll up like armadillos when disturbed, while others are parasitic and live on other crustaceans or in the mouths or on the gills of fishes.
The majority of isopods are small, less than 1/2 in. (1.27 cm) long, but Bathynomus gigantea, a deep-sea species, towers above them all.
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