Giant Isopod Presentation

Giant Isopods

Bathynomus giganteus

Characteristics

Isopods are small, pale crusteceans that are the size of two chihuahuas put together. They have a tough exoskeleton for defense, and they are invertebrates. They are distantly related to roly-polys and other, smaller isopods, but are much larger than its land-roaming cousins. This is a common phenomenon called deep sea gigantism.

Characteristics... cont.

They have 14 legs for walking the ocean floor, a uropod to form a tail fin, and 5 sets of pleopods to help it swim. They live for around two to five years in the wild.They are scavengers that eat whatever they can find in the scarce ocean depths, but they have been observed to catch certain slow prey.

Habitat

Isopods are benthos that live in deep-sea ocean bottoms. They live deep below the surface of the water at around 550 to 7020 feet deep. They typically live on sandy or muddy ocean floors, where they skitter around looking for detritus and fish carcasses.

Habitat... cont.

Isopods can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans in the dark depths. They are most abundant in colder waters as well.

Hover mouse over the image to reveal it. Viewer discretion advised; it's kind of gross to look at.

Reproduction

Isopods lay eggs to reproduce when they reach one year of age. Females develop a pouch known as a marsupium where 20-30 eggs are stored until the young, called Manca, leave. They do not have a larval stage because they stay in the marsupium to develop for 40 to 50 days.

Prey

Isopods mainly eat marine snow, falling debris that may have pieces of crab and fish inside. Rarely, they get to feast on whale when one dies and falls down to the depths in an event known as a whale fall. They have been known to survive extended times without food, with the longest recorded time being five years.

Predators

Isopods have few predators in the sparse ocean depths. However, some have been consumed by certain sharks, whales, and bony fish. Deep-sea crabs have also been recorded to hunt Giant Isopod.

Migration

Giant Isopods do not migrate.

While they are capable of both free swimming and crawling, Isopods tend to stay in their own areas hunting for falling food.

Unique Facts

- Giant Isopods stay in a year-round semi-hibernation to preserve energy.- They can curl into a ball to protect themselves just like pillbugs. - Isopod eggs are possibly the largest of all marine invertibrates. - Giant Isopods have existed since before Pangaea split into separate continents.

Facts: The Giant Isopod Created by Deep Marine Scenes

Sources

https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/giant_isopod#:~:text=Giant%20isopods%20reproduce%20by%20laying,of%20all%20the%20marine%20invertebrates.https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/giant-isopod https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/giant-isopods-curious-crustaceans-on-the-ocean-floor.html https://oceaninfo.com/animals/giant-isopod/ https://youtu.be/N1EXdpH3XY8