Creepy giant cockroach of the sea found on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico

[Judi Lynn]

By Fernando Alfonso III
 Updated 10:49 am, Tuesday, December 5, 2017

That cockroach hiding underneath your refrigerator has nothing on this giant, 14,-legged, beast that appears capable of devouring a small child.

The purplish giant isopod, or Bathynomus giganteus, was found swimming near the floor of the Gulf of Mexico Thursday by the Okeanos Explorer during deep-sea research it's conducting from Nov. 29 through Dec. 21. The Okeanos Explorer is a ship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"During the first dive of the expedition, we saw this giant deep-sea isopod, Bathynomus giganteus. While we often see these giant underwater 'pill bugs' resting on the seafloor, we don't always get to see them swim, so seeing this isopod, which measured nearly 30 centimeters (almost one foot) long, come in for a landing was exciting," the researchers with the Okeanos Explorer wrote online.

The giant crustacean is similar in appearance to pillbugs, J.D. Knight of Sea and Sky wrote on his site.

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/science-environment/article/giant-cockroach-gulf-of-mexico-video-isopod-12406459.php#item-38488

[MFM008]

1. Gross

.....

[left-of-center2012]

2. Oh Hell no - I ain't clicking on that link

There might be a photo

[SeattleVet]

3. Isopods are pretty cool...

this one looks very much like a lobster tail. Not at all like a roach.

Not usually commercially harvested, but they are a popular dish in some countries.

[Judi Lynn]

4. It was a surprise to see those little fins on the sides, looking so much like lobster tails.

I did wonder if anyone ever tried to eat them.

Interesting.

[SeattleVet]

5. It's a crustacean...

should taste pretty much like shrimp, crab, or lobster.

(The only ones I ever see are less than ½" long, so not so much for eating...)