Species Type:
Invertebrates
Common Name(s):
Deep sea isopod
Size:
These isopods range from 7.5 to 14.2 inches (19 to 36 centimeters) in length.
Diet:
Deep sea isopods eat animals, both dead and alive, including shrimp, crab, squid, sponges, fish and whale carcasses as they descend to the ocean floor.
Range & Habitat:
Deep sea isopods inhabit mud or clay bottom habitats in most parts of the world.
Details:
Deep sea isopods look like big aquatic insects. They have overlapping segments of hardened calcium carbonate, seven pairs of legs and four sets of jaws. According to the fossil record, deep sea isopods appeared millions of years ago, before Pangea broke up. Like many deep sea animals, they are much larger than their relatives in shallower water.