We've just got a Bathynomus giganteus swimming into view and these are one of the most charismatic deep-sea animals you could possibly find.
They are very closely related to the wood lice,
which you get living on dead trees and so on, except these ones are massive.
They're usually about a foot long and are just one of my favorite deep-sea animals.
I'm so glad we got to see one already. Giant isopod.
They are really, really important scavengers in the deep-sea benthic environment.
They're thought to be found worldwide and are really great example of deep-sea gigantism.
Most isopods found in the deep sea are smaller than your thumbnail,
and so this is a huge break from tradition as it is as much as a foot long. Or even more in some cases.
To some people, they're really cute, to some people, they're the stuff of nightmares.