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New supergiant 'Darth Vader' sea bug discovered in South China Sea — and it's absolutely massive (www.livescience.com)

submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen giant sea bug after studying samples purchased from fishers in Vietnam.

Bathynomus vaderi belongs to the genus Bathynomus — giant isopods that are abundant in cold, deep waters. It is a "supergiant," weighing over 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) and growing up to 12.8 inches (32.5 centimeters) long, making it one of the largest known isopods.

The species is named "vaderi" because its head resembles Darth Vader's iconic helmet from "Star Wars."

...

The researchers noted that Bathynomus species have recently become a delicacy in Vietnam, often compared to lobster. The local demand has turned these sea bugs into an expensive staple of the live-seafood market, leading to increased fishing pressures in the region.

Reference:

A new species of supergiant Bathynomus A. Milne-Edwards, 1879 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cirolanidae) from Vietnam, with notes on the taxonomy of Bathynomus jamesi Kou, Chen & Li, 2017

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[–] bigFab 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

[–] njm1314 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Is it just me or does that dude have super big hands?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 13 hours ago

I think he's holding it deceptively far from his body to make it look bigger, and it's having the same effect on his hands.