All kinds of fascinating discoveries are likely lying in wait for us in the deep sea. Now scientists have pulled a new monster out of the waters off the coast of Indonesia. The creature is a new species of “supergiant” isopod, a huge marine relative of the common pillbug (slater).

The discovery was made during the South Java Deep Sea Biodiversity Expedition 2018 (SJADES 2018). At depths between 950 and 1,260 m (3,115 and 4,135 ft), the team found two specimens of giant isopods that were soon determined to belong to a new species.

Named Bathynomus raksasa, the holotype, or physical specimen that serves as the basis for the description and name of the new species, is a male that was measured to be 36.3 cm (14.3 in) long, which puts it among the largest giant isopods ever found. The second specimen was a female measuring 29.8 cm (11.7 in). Along with being bigger on average, the team noted other differences when compared to the closest known species, Bathynomus giganteus, including smoother “skin” and different body proportions and shapes.

The team says that the discovery is an example of deep-sea gigantism, an observation that some creatures that dwell in the deep tend to grow much bigger than their relatives in shallower waters or on land. Most isopods measure less than 10 mm (0.4 in) in length, but the 20 species in the “supergiant” Bathynomus genus grow to be more than 30 times larger.

https://newatlas.com/environment/supergiant-isopod-new-species/

PermeateFree said:

All kinds of fascinating discoveries are likely lying in wait for us in the deep sea. Now scientists have pulled a new monster out of the waters off the coast of Indonesia. The creature is a new species of “supergiant” isopod, a huge marine relative of the common pillbug (slater).

The discovery was made during the South Java Deep Sea Biodiversity Expedition 2018 (SJADES 2018). At depths between 950 and 1,260 m (3,115 and 4,135 ft), the team found two specimens of giant isopods that were soon determined to belong to a new species.

Named Bathynomus raksasa, the holotype, or physical specimen that serves as the basis for the description and name of the new species, is a male that was measured to be 36.3 cm (14.3 in) long, which puts it among the largest giant isopods ever found. The second specimen was a female measuring 29.8 cm (11.7 in). Along with being bigger on average, the team noted other differences when compared to the closest known species, Bathynomus giganteus, including smoother “skin” and different body proportions and shapes.

The team says that the discovery is an example of deep-sea gigantism, an observation that some creatures that dwell in the deep tend to grow much bigger than their relatives in shallower waters or on land. Most isopods measure less than 10 mm (0.4 in) in length, but the 20 species in the “supergiant” Bathynomus genus grow to be more than 30 times larger.

https://newatlas.com/environment/supergiant-isopod-new-species/

Holy god damn heck.

Giant marine slater.

Here is one I posted in Chat.

PermeateFree said:

All kinds of fascinating discoveries are likely lying in wait for us in the deep sea. Now scientists have pulled a new monster out of the waters off the coast of Indonesia. The creature is a new species of “supergiant” isopod, a huge marine relative of the common pillbug (slater).

The discovery was made during the South Java Deep Sea Biodiversity Expedition 2018 (SJADES 2018). At depths between 950 and 1,260 m (3,115 and 4,135 ft), the team found two specimens of giant isopods that were soon determined to belong to a new species.

Named Bathynomus raksasa, the holotype, or physical specimen that serves as the basis for the description and name of the new species, is a male that was measured to be 36.3 cm (14.3 in) long, which puts it among the largest giant isopods ever found. The second specimen was a female measuring 29.8 cm (11.7 in). Along with being bigger on average, the team noted other differences when compared to the closest known species, Bathynomus giganteus, including smoother “skin” and different body proportions and shapes.

The team says that the discovery is an example of deep-sea gigantism, an observation that some creatures that dwell in the deep tend to grow much bigger than their relatives in shallower waters or on land. Most isopods measure less than 10 mm (0.4 in) in length, but the 20 species in the “supergiant” Bathynomus genus grow to be more than 30 times larger.

https://newatlas.com/environment/supergiant-isopod-new-species/

Here is one I posted in Chat.

From wiki:

“A giant isopod is any of the almost 20 species of large isopods in the genus Bathynomus. They are abundant in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Bathynomus giganteus, the species upon which the generitype is based, is often considered the largest isopod in the world, though other comparably poorly known species of Bathynomus may reach a similar size. The giant isopods are noted for their resemblance to the much smaller common woodlouse (pill bug), to which they are related. Giant isopods are of little interest to most commercial fisheries, but are infamous for attacking and destroying fish caught in trawls. Specimens caught in the Americas and Japan are sometimes seen in public aquariums.”

> Bathynomus raksasa

Really nice to see a new one. To the untrained eye (ie. me) it does closely resemble Bathynomus giganteus, seen below. I thought this was the same photo until I looked more closely.

mollwollfumble said:

Here is one I posted in Chat.

Perhaps if you made it a topic it would not get lost.