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Mankind knows surprisingly little about the depth of the ocean. Frequently repeated evidence of this is the fact that humans have done a better job of mapping the surface of Mars than the ocean floor. Creatures lurking in the depths of the water are often surprised by even the most enthusiastic researchers for their unique characteristics and strange behavior.
A recent expedition off the coast of Java has discovered a new isopod that is noteworthy for its size and similarity to Darth Vader.
There are many creatures that seem unnatural in the depths of the sea.
Giant bachinoms Specimens next to closely related supergiant isopods (left), B. Giganteus (correct)
Sidabalok CM, Wong HP-S, PKL (ZooKeys 2020)
According to LiveScience, the genus Bathynomus is sometimes referred to as the “Darth Vader of the Sea” because the crustaceans are shaped like the character’s menacing helmet. Considered as Bathynomus raksasa (“raksasa” which means “giant” in Indonesian), this cockroach-like creature can grow to over 30 cm (12 inches). It is one of several known species of giant pelagic isopods. Like the other members of its order, it has a compound eye, seven body parts, two pairs of antennas, and a set of four jaws. This kind of incredible size is probably the result of deep-sea gigantism. This tends to make creatures that live deeper in the ocean much larger than closely related species that live in shallower waters. B. raksasa seems to be building a house between 950 and 1,260 meters above sea level (3,117 and 4,134 feet). Perhaps suitable for a very creepy looking creature, it is the lower part of what is commonly referred to as the Twilight Zone, named after the lack of light available at such depths. It’s not the only giant isopods far away from it. Other types of pelagic isopods can be up to 50 cm (20 inches) long and appear to have emerged from a nightmare. But these are rare. In most cases, isopods remain much more reasonable in size. The discovery of this new species was published in ZooKeys. The remaining specimens from the trip are still being analyzed. The full report will be published shortly.
