The specimens were the bycatch of a fishing vessel in the South China Sea, which researchers later bought to study.

Giant isopods are a distant cousin of crabs and prawns. They are the largest among the thousands of species in the crustacean group, said the NOAA Ocean Exploration on its website. These animals are ...

Ocean-dwelling isopods ... awaiting further exploration to confirm its range. Giant isopods like Bathynomus vaderi have become a sought-after delicacy in Vietnam. Once a low-cost bycatch product ...

Bathynomus isopods are divided into two size-based groups, researchers said. Giant species are 5.9 inches ... by feeding on debris that falls to the ocean floor and recycling those nutrients ...