The latest addition is the Marine Organismal Body Size (MOBS) database, an open-access resource that—as its name implies—has ...

The giant isopod is a huge relative of the pill bug. These armored scavengers roam the ocean floor and can grow up to 20 inches long. With their rigid exoskeleton and eerie, ...

In the shadowy depths of the ocean, giant isopods oversized relatives of pill bugs scavenge the seafloor with their armored bodies and 14 legs. These deep-sea crustaceans, reaching up to 2.5 feet ...

The giant isopod is served as food after being steamed, grilled, stir-fried or cooked with fried rice. Giant isopods sold at a seafood market in Hanoi in May 2024. PHOTO: NGUYEN THANH SON.

The head of Bathynomus vaderi, a newly described species of giant isopod found in Southeast Asian waters Nguyen Thanh Son. Move aside, lobster—a newly described giant isopod from Vietnam is now ...

Researchers exploring the wares of fishers in Vietnam discovered a “supergiant” sea bug species whose resemblance to Darth Vader inspired its name.

Researchers exploring the wares of fishers in Vietnam have discovered a “supergiant” sea bug species that they've named for one of the most infamous movie villains of all time. The new find came after ...

Newly-discovered giant sea bug resembling Darth Vader isn't as scary as it looks The creature belongs to a genus of giant isopods found in abundance in deep-sea waters, though the size of B ...

Like all giant isopods, of which there are around 20 species, B. Vaderi is a carnivore and prefers feeding on crustaceans, fish, squid, and even whale carcasses.

What has 14 legs, lives at the bottom of the sea, and looks like Darth Vader? It's a newly discovered species of supergiant isopod, and should you happen to be in Vietnam sometime soon, you can ...

Researcher Nguyen Thanh Son poses with a giant isopod in a seafood market. Once a low-cost bycatch of local fishermen, "sea bugs" like B. vaderi are now an expensive delicacy.