‘What Is It?’ of the Week: The Giant Isopod
November 7th, 2007 by timbotron‘Woodlice’ [a.k.a. - 'Pill Bugs,' 'Sow Bugs,' 'Potato Bugs,' 'Roly-Polies'] are a common sight in piles of moist rotting wood, and are perhaps the most well known examples of an Isopod [an order of Crustaceans, they're related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp].
At around 2,000 feet beneath the sea, isopods have gone from the size of a pea to the size of a f%&$ing lapdog. Behold the ancient looking Bathynomus giganteus - the Giant Isopod. Their large size may be the result of living on the deep ocean floor, which permits small creatures to evolve to gigantic proportions.
If you’d like to see Bathynomus giganteus in person, you won’t need a submarine: the James R. Record Aquarium [Fort Worth, Texas] has live Bathynomus giganteus on exhibit.
