Brown Centipede

Brown Centipede

Phylum : Arthropoda
Subphylum : Myriapoda
Class : Chilopoda
Order : Lithobiomorpha
Family : Lithobiidae
Genus : Lithobius
Species : L. forficatus

Length : Up to 2in (5cm)

IUCN Status : Not Listed

The Brown Centipede is a very common species of Myriapod that can be found most often in Europe, though their distribution extends outside that range.They are a reddish-brown color, have large antennae, and live in a variety of different habitats.

As adults, Brown Centipedes have 15 pairs of legs, giving them thirty overall. You can tell a juvenile from an adult by counting up the digits. Less than 30 legs means that it still has some growing to do. Brown centipedes are born with 7 pairs, and they have to molt their exoskeletons as they age. Each molt grants them a new set of legs!

Females have an interesting way of laying their eggs. They dig a hole and deposit one egg. Then they dig another hole for another single egg, and so on. Eggs are laid in summer, and Brown Centipedes can live as long as 6 years!

Brown Centipedes are nocturnal carnivores, and they have a couple of neat features that help them to hunt and devour prey. First off, they have two venomous claws they they use to paralyze their targets. Secondly, their back set of legs is much longer than any other set, which allows them to hold on to and carry around meals. Humans should not be fearful of Brown Centipedes. They may try and attack with the venom if threatened, but they rarely break skin. Even if they do, the injury is more mild then your average bee sting.

Brown Centipede

Brown Centipede

Phylum : Arthropoda

Subphylum : Myriapoda

Class : Chilopoda

Order : Lithobiomorpha

Family : Lithobiidae

Genus : Lithobius

Species : L. forficatus



Length : Up to 2in (5cm)



IUCN Status : Not Listed



The Brown Centipede is a very common species of Myriapod that can be found most often in Europe, though their distribution extends outside that range.They are a reddish-brown color, have large antennae, and live in a variety of different habitats.



As adults, Brown Centipedes have 15 pairs of legs, giving them thirty overall. You can tell a juvenile from an adult by counting up the digits. Less than 30 legs means that it still has some growing to do. Brown centipedes are born with 7 pairs, and they have to molt their exoskeletons as they age. Each molt grants them a new set of legs!



Females have an interesting way of laying their eggs. They dig a hole and deposit one egg. Then they dig another hole for another single egg, and so on. Eggs are laid in summer, and Brown Centipedes can live as long as 6 years!



Brown Centipedes are nocturnal carnivores, and they have a couple of neat features that help them to hunt and devour prey. First off, they have two venomous claws they they use to paralyze their targets. Secondly, their back set of legs is much longer than any other set, which allows them to hold on to and carry around meals. Humans should not be fearful of Brown Centipedes. They may try and attack with the venom if threatened, but they rarely break skin. Even if they do, the injury is more mild then your average bee sting.

Vampire Squid

Vampire Squid

Phylum : Mollusca
Class : Cephalopoda
Order : Vampyromorphida
Family : Vampyroteuthidae
Genus : Vampyroteuthis
Species : V. infernalis

Length : 1ft (30cm)

IUCN Status : Not Listed

Vampyroteuthis infernalis literally means "Vampire Squid from Hell," which is a scary name for a creature so small. They are remarkably interesting because they are the sole living members of the Vampyromorphida order, and the have traits of both Octopuses and Squids. When they were discovered and described in 1903, they were initially placed within the Octopus Order.

The Vampire Squid is different from True Octopuses and Squids in a handful of ways. Their bodies posses the same color changing chromatophores that Squids have, but they lack the ability to actually change color. They have webbing between their eight arms, which is similar to Octopuses, but they also have two long filaments that can extend and retract. These filaments look similar to the two long tentacles found on Squid, but are different in function and composition. The Vampire Squid's arms, (along with their sometimes red eyes) help to give them their name. Each arm has a row of suckers, along with a row of spines that look a bit like pointed teeth.

Juvenile Vampire Squids go through an interesting metamorphosis as they grow, causing a total change in the way that they move. When they are young they move by jetting themselves around, and the two little fins on their mantle don't do much. When they reach about 2.5cm long, they grow a whole new pair of fins, and the first set is absorbed into the body. At this point the Squid propels itself with the fins rather than with jetting.

Vampire Squids, like many other crazy looking ocean dwellers, can be found in the deep seas between 1,000-10,000 ft (300-3,000m) down. They are found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Their bodies have proportionally huge eyes and numerous bioluminescent organs called photophores. The photophores are larger at the tips of the arms, and the Vampire Squids ability to manipulate these lights helps them to disorient prey and to escape from their own predators.

Vampire Squid

Vampire Squid

Phylum : Mollusca

Class : Cephalopoda

Order : Vampyromorphida

Family : Vampyroteuthidae

Genus : Vampyroteuthis

Species : V. infernalis



Length : 1ft (30cm)



IUCN Status : Not Listed



Vampyroteuthis infernalis literally means "Vampire Squid from Hell," which is a scary name for a creature so small. They are remarkably interesting because they are the sole living members of the Vampyromorphida order, and the have traits of both Octopuses and Squids. When they were discovered and described in 1903, they were initially placed within the Octopus Order.



The Vampire Squid is different from True Octopuses and Squids in a handful of ways. Their bodies posses the same color changing chromatophores that Squids have, but they lack the ability to actually change color. They have webbing between their eight arms, which is similar to Octopuses, but they also have two long filaments that can extend and retract. These filaments look similar to the two long tentacles found on Squid, but are different in function and composition. The Vampire Squid's arms, (along with their sometimes red eyes) help to give them their name. Each arm has a row of suckers, along with a row of spines that look a bit like pointed teeth.



Juvenile Vampire Squids go through an interesting metamorphosis as they grow, causing a total change in the way that they move. When they are young they move by jetting themselves around, and the two little fins on their mantle don't do much. When they reach about 2.5cm long, they grow a whole new pair of fins, and the first set is absorbed into the body. At this point the Squid propels itself with the fins rather than with jetting.



Vampire Squids, like many other crazy looking ocean dwellers, can be found in the deep seas between 1,000-10,000 ft (300-3,000m) down. They are found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Their bodies have proportionally huge eyes and numerous bioluminescent organs called photophores. The photophores are larger at the tips of the arms, and the Vampire Squids ability to manipulate these lights helps them to disorient prey and to escape from their own predators.

American Lobster

American Lobster

Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Malacostraca
Order : Decapoda
Family : Nephropidae
Genus : Homarus
Species : H. americanus

Length : 8-24in (20-61cm)
Weight : 2-9lbs (1-4kg)

IUCN Status : Not Listed

The American Lobster, as its name might suggest, can be found in the waters of the Atlantic, running from Canada down to the Carolinas. They do not swim, instead they move about by crawling thanks to four pairs of walking legs. The fifth pair, (or rather, the first if going from head to tail) makes up the large claws.

Molting is a very important activity in the life of a Lobster. As they grow towards adulthood, juvenile Lobsters will molt their carapace multiple times a year. They essentially grow a whole new shell under their old one, and then seek out a safe place to shed. The Lobsters are vulnerable for a time after their old shell has been discarded, because the new one is still soft. It will harden over time, and adult Lobsters molt about once a year.

Molting has a big part in Lobster reproduction, as females can only mate when their new carapaces are soft, right after molting. They can lay thousands of eggs at once, which are carried on the underside of the female's tail for as long as a year!

American Lobsters are opportunistic feeders. They dine on Plankton, Mollusks, Fish, Algae, Worms, and even other Lobsters. They have also been known to consume their own recently molted shells!

The harvesting of American Lobster is a $300,000,000 industry, and overfishing exists in some areas of southern New England. Measurements are in place by the NOAA that outline the protection of breeding females, the minimum size a Lobster must be at to be caught, and what types of traps can be used. The largest American Lobster ever caught weighed 44lbs (20kg).

American Lobster

American Lobster

Phylum : Arthropoda

Class : Malacostraca

Order : Decapoda

Family : Nephropidae

Genus : Homarus

Species : H. americanus



Length : 8-24in (20-61cm)

Weight : 2-9lbs (1-4kg)



IUCN Status : Not Listed



The American Lobster, as its name might suggest, can be found in the waters of the Atlantic, running from Canada down to the Carolinas. They do not swim, instead they move about by crawling thanks to four pairs of walking legs. The fifth pair, (or rather, the first if going from head to tail) makes up the large claws.



Molting is a very important activity in the life of a Lobster. As they grow towards adulthood, juvenile Lobsters will molt their carapace multiple times a year. They essentially grow a whole new shell under their old one, and then seek out a safe place to shed. The Lobsters are vulnerable for a time after their old shell has been discarded, because the new one is still soft. It will harden over time, and adult Lobsters molt about once a year.



Molting has a big part in Lobster reproduction, as females can only mate when their new carapaces are soft, right after molting. They can lay thousands of eggs at once, which are carried on the underside of the female's tail for as long as a year!



American Lobsters are opportunistic feeders. They dine on Plankton, Mollusks, Fish, Algae, Worms, and even other Lobsters. They have also been known to consume their own recently molted shells!



The harvesting of American Lobster is a $300,000,000 industry, and overfishing exists in some areas of southern New England. Measurements are in place by the NOAA that outline the protection of breeding females, the minimum size a Lobster must be at to be caught, and what types of traps can be used. The largest American Lobster ever caught weighed 44lbs (20kg).

Giant Huntsman Spider

Giant Huntsman Spider

Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Arachnida
Order : Araneae
Family : Sparassidae
Genus : Heteropoda
Species : maxima

Legspan : 12in (30cm)
Body Size : 2in (4.7cm)

IUCN Status : Not Listed

The Giant Huntsman Spider is a newly identified species that was first discovered in the Mekong region in 2001. It has the largest legspan of any spider species yet uncovered (though since 2001 we've found over 1,000 new species in the Mekong alone, so who knows!)

Despite its scary huge size, the Giant Huntsman Spider is not dangerous to humans. They get their name from the fact that they stalk and hunt down their prey (insects, small vertebrates); they are also quite fast on their long, gangly legs.

Giant Huntsman Spiders are not venomous, and a bite from them will just give you a regular old spider bite.

Antlion

Adult Euroleon nostras

Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Neuroptra
Family : Myrmeleontidae

Wingspan : 1-6in (2.5-15cm), varies by species

If we want to get technical, the term "Antlion" most commonly refers to the larvae of the family Myrmeleontidae, but it has come to be a collective term for the 2,000 different species as well. Antlions can be found in sandy and arid habitats worldwide.

Antlion Larvae

In North America these insects are also referred to as Doodlebugs, due to the the tracings that they leave in the sand when building their pit traps. Larvae build pit traps by creating spiraled funnel in loose soil. They then sit at the bottom of the trap with only their head exposed, waiting for prey to fall in.

The Antlion name comes from the fact that their larval form primarily hunts and consumes ants. Antlions spend a majority of their life in larval form, sometimes up to three years! Once they cocoon and become winged adults they live only for about a month, which is enough time to find a mate and reproduce.

Melon Aphid

Melon Aphids

Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Hemiptera
Superfamily : Aphidoidea
Family : Aphididae
Genus : Aphis
Species : gossypii

Length : 2-3mm

The Melon Aphid also goes by the name Cotton Aphid, and is found in tropical and temperate regions around the world. They are one of literally thousands of Aphid species, tiny sap-sucking insects that can cause huge amounts of crop damage.

Melon Aphids have some strange reproductive habits. During the spring, winged females in certain areas fly over to suitable host plants and give birth to live young through parthenogenesis (development without fertilization). In other areas, females lay eggs after mating. Regardless of their conception, the nymphs take between 4 and 10 days to mature, depending on the overall temperature. Most adults will not grow wings. However, if there is overcrowding or a limited food supply, some Aphids will grow wings in order to fly to newer, more favorable locations.

Melon Aphids can be disastrous to certain plants. Not only do they consume several dozen different plant species, but they are also carrier of a handful of devastating plant viruses. Melon Aphids have many natural predators, including Ladybugs, but they can still be quite tricky to manage. Insecticides can help, but some bugs grow immune. Crop rotation and eradication of infected plants are also methods of Aphid control.

Giraffe Weevil

Male Giraffe Weevil

Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Coleoptera
Family : Attelabidae
Genus : Trachelophorus
Species : giraffa

Body Length : 1in (2.5cm)

I chose today's animal based entirely on its looks, as it is otherwise a relatively unremarkable creature. Giraffe Weevils can be found on the Island of Madagascar, inhabiting forested areas.The are one of the longest Weevil species.

Giraffe Weevils are sexually dimorphic. Though both males and females have the striking red body coloration, the males have much, much longer necks than the females. Male use these long necks to fight over females when it comes time to breed, they also use them to create rolled up leaf nests, which the females lay only a single egg in. The leaf then serves as a meal for the larvae upon hatching.

Zebra Mussel

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Phylum : Mollusca
Class : Bivalvia
Subclass : Heterodonta
Order : Veneroida
Family : Dreissenidae
Genus : Dreissena
Species : polymorpha

Length : .25-2in (.6-5cm)

IUCN Status : Not listed

Zebra Mussels were originally located in Southwest and Central Asia, in the Black and Caspian Sea regions. By the 1800s however, these little guys were invading waterways throughout Europe, making it as far as England and Ireland. In 1988, they were first discovered in the American Great Lakes, and are now considered an invasive species.

Zebra Mussels aren't particularly large, as a adults they rarely grow above two inches. They have a "D" shaped shell with an opening. Out of this opening comes a threadlike external organ called a Byssus, which allows them to attach to just about anything. They even attach themselves to other living organisms. Zebra Mussels are filter feeders; they go through about a quart of water each day and consume algae and phytoplankton.

So why are Zebra Mussels so bad? Well first off, they are prolific breeders. Females produce between 30,000 and 1,000,000 eggs every year, and adults can live as long as 6-8 years. The larvae are small and free-swimming, which makes it very easy for them to get into new water supplies and cause contamination. Because they attach to most surfaces and filter so much water, they threaten the food supplies of native species. They have also caused the decline of other Mussel species, since they will attach themselves to those as well.

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Zebra Mussels also have a very expensive impact on humans. They clog up the pipes of power plants and water treatment centers, and it costs over $500 million dollars per year to control them. Special metals and coatings can be used to deter them from attaching themselves, but so far there is no single, completely effective method of controlling them.

Strangely, Zebra Mussels have a positive effect on some species. Because they filter so much detritus, water is clearer in certain areas, which prompts growth in underwater plants. This in turn feeds fish and other aquatic animals. Zebra Mussels are also a food source for several species. However, there are so many of them that even with rapid consumption their numbers are not put in check.

Viceroy Butterfly

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Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Lepidoptera
Superfamily : Papilionoidea
Family : Nymphalidae
Subfamily : Limenitidinae
Genus : Limenitis 
Species:  archippus 

Length : 2.5-3.5in (6.5-9cm) wingspan

IUCN Status : Not listed

I mentioned mimicry briefly in my Butterfly photo post, so I figured I would expand upon it a little more with today's animal. There are actually two ways that butterflies mimic other butterfly species. The first of these is known as Batesian mimicry, and this is when a non-toxic species looks like a toxic species in order to stay safe. The second type, Muellerian mimicry, is when two equally toxic species mimic each other, benefiting one another. The Viceroy Butterfly is a Muellerian mimic, and if you couldn't already tell, their partner in crime is the Monarch Butterfly.

Viceroys and Monarchs looks incredibly similar, with the small difference being a black bar that runs horizontally across the Viceroy's lower wings. The two species are not closely related, and belong to different subfamilies. However, both are toxic when consumed, so the similar coloration keeps predators from eating both of them.

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Viceroys and Monarchs share a great deal of their range. They are both found through North America, inhabiting fields, swamps, and marshes. They often live near Willow, Cottenwood, and Poplar trees, as these are where they lay their eggs. Caterpillars eat the leaves of these trees upon hatching, and their coloration camouflages them to look like bird droppings. Adult Viceroy Butterflies feed off of nectar, and have modified mouth parts that can reach down into plans in order to feed.

Viceroy Butterflies are the state Butterfly of Kentucky.

Arthropleura

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Phylum : Arthropoda
Subphylum : Myriapoda
Class : Arthropleuridea
Order : Arthropleurida
Family : Arthropleuridae
Genus : Arthropleura

Length : Up to 8.5ft (2.6m)

Status : Extinct for about 280 million years!

Arthropleura lived in forests during the Carboniferous Period between 340-280 million years ago. At this time oxygen levels were much higher than they are now, which allowed for insects to reach much larger sizes. Another contribution to their hugeness was a lack of large vertebrate predators. Arthropleura had a long, flat, segmented body with as many as thirty sets of legs. They were distant relatives of the millipedes that we have today, and they have the designation of being the largest land invertebrates of all time!

We've found a whole mess of fossilized Arthropleura footprints, as well as many fossils of the animals themselves. Scientists aren't completely sure of Arthropleura's diet, since we don't have full jaws left to study, but it was most likely a herbivore based on plant materials found in coprolites (fossilized excrement).

Near the end of the Carboniferous Period the world began to dry out and the forested habitats of Arthropleura begin to shrink. This in turn caused a decrease of oxygen in the atmosphere, and Arthropleura could no longer maintain its large body size. They eventually died out, along with their entire Class. Other myriapods exist in their place today, though they are of minuscule size by comparison, with the largest measuring up to 1 ft (30cm).

Big Fin Squid

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Phylum : Mollusca
Class : Cephalopoda
Order : Teuthida
Family : Magnapinnidae
Genus : Magnapinna

Length : 5-23ft (1.5-7m)
Weight : Unknown

IUCN Status : Not listed

I'm afraid that this entry might be a short one, simply because these Squid are still so unknown to us. There are five identified species, but two are still unnammed, and all five still hang in a bit of taxonomic limbo, subject to change with any sort of breakthrough.

Big Fin Squid have been found in the deep waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As their name denotes, they have large fins that extend outward from the mantle (their main body segment.) Big Fin Squids also have ten arms, all of about equal length and thickness. Many other squid species, in contrast, have eight shorter arms with two longer tentacles.The arms of Big Fin Squids are also typically hung at right angles, as if they have elbows.

Only larval and juvenile Big Fin Squids have actually been physically studied. Videos and images of adults have been picked up by underwater cameras and ROV's (Remotely Operated Vehicle), but because these are just images it is difficult to properly study them and even establish them as specific species. A few years ago, in 2007, an ROV owned by the Shell oil company in the Gulf of Mexico picked up an image of one of these Magnapinna species.

Brain Coral

Platygyra daedalea is one of the more common species of Corals referred to as "Brain Corals." All are members of the family Faviidae. This particular example is found in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. Brain Corals are so named because of their tendency to resemble an animal brain, with a spherical shapes and curving grooves. This particular species grows around 1m in diameter

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What we see as a Brain Coral is actually the hard protective exterior created by multitudes of tiny polyps. The polyps gain nurishment with help from microscopic zooxanthellae algae. The algae lives within the groves of the Coral, staying protected. In return, it provides the coral with energy rich molecules via photosynthesis. This important relationship requires that the Brain Coral live in shallow waters that sunlight is able to reach.

Brain Coral polyps are hermaphroditic, and each polyp is able to produce both sperm and eggs. Polyps can also reproduce asexually through budding, which means that a new organism grows directly from the parent before eventually splitting off. This particular species of Brain Coral is known to be semi-aggressive. It has tentacles that extend at night that are able to harm other Corals, allowing it to compete for space.

Japanese Spider Crab

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Japanese Spider Crabs are the world's largest living arthropod, with a legspan that stretches nearly 13ft (4m). Their actually body, however, reaches only about 15in (37cm) across. These Crabs are found on the seafloor in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Japanese archipelago. They are found at depths of 150-800m, though 200m is very typical. Females will move to even shallower depths in order to lay their eggs.

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The body of the Japanese Spider Crab is made up of a body with eight legs and two long feeding arms that, in males, exceed the length of the legs. These arms are shorter in females. They are reddish-orange in color, with white spots. The eyes are located at the front of the body, and two horns protrude between them.

Japanese Spider Crabs hang out on the sea floor where they feed off of other crustaceans and material of dead animals that has floated downwards. They reportedly can live up to 100 years, making them a very long-lived species.

Japanese Spider Crabs have not been evaluated by the IUCN, but they are fished for consumption purposes. However, the number caught has gone down in recent years due to protection programs. Fishing continues in Saruga Bay, but overfishing in that area has caused fishermen to look deeper and deeper for these large crustaceans.

Tully Monster

Artist's Interpretation

The Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium) was a rather unique animal, both in biology and in location. It is the state fossil of Illinois, and that state is the only place in the world where they have been found. Some scientists believe they might be a distant relative of snails, but this has not been confirmed. Overall, they do not seem to be closely related to any other yet-discovered creature, living or extinct.

Tully Monsters were soft-bodied, marine invertebrates that lived during the Pennsylvanian Period, which is the younger of the two subdivisions of the Carboniferous Period. In short, they lived about 300 million years ago. They had long, segmented bodies that grew up to 14in (35.5cm), and possessed eight small teeth and a horizontal tail and dorsal fin. They were most likely carnivorous, based upon their mouth shape. They also had a bar that transected the body horizontally about half way down. It is thought that these served as sensory organs. Based on their body shape, they were most likely active swimmers.

Fossil

The Tully Monster was first discovered by amateur fossil collector Francis Tully in 1958. Fossilized imprints were found in the Mazon Creek deposits, and he brought them to the Field Museum in Chicago. It was eventually determined that this was a whole new species and was officially named after its nickname, Tullymonstrum, with the genus, gregarium, meaning "common."

Common Tapeworm

And now for something kind of gross... The Common Tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) is a parasite found in intestinal tracts around the world. It most commonly affects dogs and cats, though humans can also prey host to these creatures. Common Tapeworms require fleas in order to reproduce, and so must be in an environment that supports them as well. They can reach up to 20in (51cm) in length.

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Tapeworm biology and reproduction is actually pretty fascinating. They attach to their host with a scolex, a hook like structure on their heads. Common Tapeworms are also hermaphroditic, and continuously grow new body segments during their lifetime. Each one of these segments contains an independent digestive and reproductive tract. New segments grow closer to the head, pushing the older ones farther and farther back until they drop off as an egg sac. These sacs eventually leave their host via feces.

And it just gets weirder. These eggs will hatch into larvae, but the larvae do not infect our pets or us. Instead, the larvae depends on the young of another parasitic species to spread. Young Fleas are voracious eaters, and consume the tiny Tapeworms. If a flea gets ingested (by a pet licking itself, for example), they pass the Tapeworms along, who them latch on and begin feeding and growing.

How does one get rid of a Common Tapeworm? Well luckily, we have pills and injections for these things now, but since they are spread by fleas, its also very important to rid your environment of those as well, in order to prevent re-infection. Humans affected by the Common Tapeworm often experience no symptoms, but abdominal pain and diarrhea can occur.

Chan's Megastick

Phobaeticus chani is a Phasmid, a type of insect that mimics its surroundings by looking a lot like a stick. This particular species, found in the treetop canopies of Borneo, is one of the longest. Only three specimens have ever been collected, but the longest, a female, has a body length of 14in (37.5cm). When you toss the legs in there, it reaches 22.5in (56.7cm).

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Chan's Megastick (named for it's discoverer, Datuk Chan Chew Lun) is also notable for its strange eggs, which have wing-like flaps on the cases to help them float and disperse.

This entry is a short one, unfortunately, because so very little is actually known about this amazing insect. Its habitat is so high up that they are extremely difficult to locate, and with the loss of rainforest areas, who known how many other species like this will never actually be discovered?

Giant Isopod

Of the nine members of the genus Bathynomus, B. giganteus is the largest. These crustaceans, closely related to shrimp, look like something out of science fiction, but they are in fact real, living creatures that crawl around in the deep sea of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Giant Isopods live at depths of over 2,000 feet and can grow to nearly a foot and a half in length!

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Like the Giant Squid and the Giant Tube Worm, Giant Isopods are an example of deep sea gigantism, which causes animals on the sea floor to grow far larger than their near-surface counterparts. One thought on why this happens is that the large size helps compensate for the huge amount of water pressure that is placed on the creatures by their deep habitat. Giant Isopods have a rigid exoskeleton that also lets them roll up into a ball to avoid danger.

Giant Isopods are opportunistic, carnivorous feeders, and they have to be! They live in an area where food is scarce, and so they will gorge on whatever they can find. This often includes parts of dead fish and larger marine creatures, and it is believed that they may also hunt slow moving deep sea dwellers as well. They are also capable of surviving for weeks without food, and adaptation that helps them to survive.

Another adaptation comes in the form of their reproductive habits. Giant Isopods lay eggs, rather large ones in fact, and these eggs are incubated in a pouch created by the female. When the eggs hatch, the young have already bypassed the entire larval stage, and look like tiny versions of the adults. This helps them to survive easier early in life.