Skip to content

Southern Fried Science

Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS

Real Monsters – The Giant Isopod

Posted on September 11, 2010September 7, 2010 By Andrew Thaler 2 Comments on Real Monsters – The Giant Isopod
Science

Now that Ocean of Pseudoscience Week has come to a close, we thought it would be a good time to talk about our favorite real sea monsters – amazing marine creatures that capture the imagination. For mine, we naturally have to take a trip to the deep sea to find Bathynomous, the giant deep-sea isopod.

Giant isopods are the monster cousins of the terrestrial isopod commonly know as the rolly-polly or pill bug. First discovered in 1879, these deep-sea scavengers can reach over a foot in length, dwarfing the much more minuscule common isopods, found on beaches and docks around the world.

Dr. M from Deep Sea News has done quite a bit of research on why these isopods get so big. Isopocalypse 2010 is a good place to start. IN short, giganticism is not uncommon in the deep sea, and may be a response to a food-limited environment. But you’ll have to check out the Deep Sea News post for more details.

The majestic Deep-sea Isopod

~Southern Fried Scientist

Share this:

  • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon

Related

Tags: Bathynomous Deep Sea News isopod

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: An Ocean of Pseudoscience Week Recap
Next Post: Real Monsters – Eurypterids! ❯

You may also like

Popular Culture
The incredible biodiversity of Aquaman’s variant cover: Episode 2
May 6, 2014
Conservation
Who should you be following for oil spill news?
May 28, 2010
Science
One way an oil rig’s blowout preventer can fail
May 3, 2010
Weekly Salvage
#JacquesWeek, Lionfish tax, coral that glows, accelerating climate change, and more! Monday Morning Salvage: July 10, 2017
July 10, 2017

2 thoughts on “Real Monsters – The Giant Isopod”

  1. Scicurious says:
    September 15, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    Someone should sell a stuffed version of those things. I would buy one!!!

  2. WhySharksMatter says:
    September 15, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    Done:
    http://www.neatorama.com/2009/01/21/cuddly-ikea-stuffed-animals/

Comments are closed.

Recent Popular Posts

Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryShark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine is a fake documentaryAugust 10, 2014Michelle Jewell
My "Follow ocean science and conservation experts on Bluesky and Instagram" assignmentMy "Follow ocean science and conservation experts on Bluesky and Instagram" assignmentNovember 19, 2024David Shiffman
Sustainable Seafood, Endangered Species, and Jaws: Some upcoming talks and panelsSustainable Seafood, Endangered Species, and Jaws: Some upcoming talks and panelsMay 8, 2025David Shiffman
What can the funniest shark memes on the internetz teach us about ocean science and conservation?What can the funniest shark memes on the internetz teach us about ocean science and conservation?November 8, 2013David Shiffman
Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)Our favorite sea monsters – Ningen (#4)September 7, 2010Andrew Thaler
The story of the pride flag made from NASA imagery: Bluesky's most-liked imageThe story of the pride flag made from NASA imagery: Bluesky's most-liked imageSeptember 27, 2024David Shiffman
I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.I turned my woodshop into a personal solar farm.June 21, 2021Andrew Thaler
Deep-sea mining, marine protected areas, and the eternal struggle to open doors: This Week in Andrew (and Angelo) Doing PodcastsDeep-sea mining, marine protected areas, and the eternal struggle to open doors: This Week in Andrew (and Angelo) Doing PodcastsMay 7, 2025Andrew Thaler
Here's what I teach my students about finding jobs in marine biology and conservationHere's what I teach my students about finding jobs in marine biology and conservationApril 10, 2024David Shiffman
Alberta, Canada is the proud owner of the largest man-made pyramid on the planetAlberta, Canada is the proud owner of the largest man-made pyramid on the planetOctober 16, 2012Andrew Thaler
Subscribe to our RSS Feed for updates whenever new articles are published.

We recommend Feedly for RSS management. It's like Google Reader, except it still exists.

Southern Fried Science

  • Home
  • About SFS
  • Authors
  • Support SFS


If you enjoy Southern Fried Science, consider contributing to our Patreon campaign.

Copyright © 2025 Southern Fried Science.

Theme: Oceanly Premium by ScriptsTown