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October 26, 2021: Giant Isopod

This giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus) was spotted during a Gulf of Mexico 2017 expedition dive to explore an area informally named “Okeanos Ridge,” as it was first mapped using NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in 2012.

Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Gulf of Mexico 2017. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).

This giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus) was spotted during a Gulf of Mexico 2017 expedition dive to explore an area informally named “Okeanos Ridge,” as it was first mapped using NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in 2012. Related to the terrestrial pill bugs often found scurrying around any backyard, species in the genus Bathynomus are the largest of any isopod. The giant isopod in this image was nearly 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in length!