Meet the deep sea giant isopod | Critter Corner

There’s so much to love about the giant isopod, the biggest roly poly on planet ocean! Look deeply into those compound eyes and we know you’ll fall head over uropods for this gorgeous giant.


The giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus) is a colossal crustacean that grows up to 16 inches (40 cm) and is found in the deep Atlantic Ocean, living 1600 feet (500m) and more below the ocean’s surface.


Cousin to the backyard pillbug, Bathynomus is a connoisseur of carcasses. This adorable seafloor roomba senses its surroundings with large eyes and two sets of antennae to pick up the scent of some fresh carrion. The giant isopod roams the deep seafloor on 7 pairs of legs, with an occasional burst of speedy swimming from fluttering swimmerets, to feast on the remains of the deceased raining down from above. Because food fragments can be few and far between, they have adapted to eat as much as they can at one time, and then may not eat again for a year or more!

We’re sure that many of you are fans of giant isopods already—but if you’re not yet convinced, check this out! You can see AND TOUCH giant isopods for yourself in our new exhibition, ”Into the Deep: Exploring Our Undiscovered Ocean”!


____

[toyotatacoma]

Last time I went to California, my jaw pretty much dropped when I realized these guys had their own touch tank. Never in my life did I think I’d be touching a giant isopod with my bare hands.

[MBARIvideo]

LOVE the giant isopods! These deep-sea critters are way more endearing than many people think. We love to visit them in the Into the Deep exhibition at the Aquarium!

[diasporelegassi]

I need a 9 hour video of these guys with soft piano to sleep to

[JamieGreenIllustration]

Endless love for the deep sea giant isopod

[leonhardable]

weird how a 5cm isopod /roly poly would be horrifying and disgusting, but once insectoids meet a certain size, they just become super cool aliens

[elloelle]

Me and my wife got to pet him when we last visited!!! Sweet boi

[SashaRed]

How eerily and stunningly beautiful! Thank you for introducing us to these lovely creatures. Next time I see a pillbug I will think of this beauty.

[riverAmazonNZ]

I keep isopods as pets. They are very cute too but much much smaller!

[agnesoblige]

yay! giant isopods are so cute 🥰 someone makes a life sized realistic plush (and smaller ones if you don't want a huge one) 😊

[hangover]

That's a dang nice deep sea giant isopod right there if I've ever seen one

[qiekz]

ITS HIM ITS HIM I LOVE HIM SO MUCH <3

[bunny-bf]

these are one of my favourite animals!

[noneofyourbuisness]

I have to wonder how they feed these things and other deep sea species. Given how they are evolved to go without food for a long time, do get fed less regularly than the other animals? Like, if penguins get fed every day, do these guys get a meal every week or month? I don't think it would constitute as animal cruelty either since, again, they evolved to go exceptionally long periods of time without food. One captive individual literally went seven years without eating simply because it wanted to - the keepers still tried to feed it and brought it food, but when it figured out that they wanted it to eat, it simply chose not to just because it could.

If that isn't what rebellion sounds like, then I don't know what is

[pickl]

i love these guys so much! being able to pet one in the touch tank was a dream come true :D

[jing-taizhao]

Just visited the aquarium yesterday and got to touch one. Coolest experience of my life!

[angelsoobin]

I got to pet one of these guys at the aquarium, they were so cute

[chickens]

I'm doing my research paper for oceanography on these guys!!

[tapewormrage]

When they’re so big they stop being gross and start being cute.

[rrfirefly]

My friend would be screaming and running away if I showed this to her. She lives in terror of all insects, even little rolly polies. This isopod would be a nightmare for her.

[AniFam]

They look pretty unique~
Thank you for sharing this video~🤗