Giant Deep-sea Isopod specimen

From Dr Marissa McNamara, Collection Manager Crustacea:
"This is a giant isopod, a crustacean related to the slaters in your garden. It looks scary, but don't worry, it won’t be appearing in your backyard anytime soon – giant isopods live in the ocean from about 200 to 2000 m depth.

These dwellers of the deep are scavengers, and they use their 14 legs to crawl around on the ocean floor searching for their next meal – they love whale carcasses, but will also consume marine worms or fish heads, or anything delicious that drifts down from above. They can swim too, by flapping their pleopods, which are swimmerets located behind their walking legs. Currently there are 23 species, all in the genus Bathynomus, and the biggest ones (called supergiants) can reach 50cm!

I love this specimen because it's a creature not many people know about, and visitors are amazed when they see it. Kids ask me if it's a cockroach or a prehistoric beast, but I always tell them it's a crustacean found all around the world, living a hidden life far beneath our feet. Little is known about these animals because they are difficult to reach, but museum specimens (and scientists) can help us uncover the secrets of these fascinating creatures – three new species were named in 2025!"

This specimen is part of Queensland Museum's Crustacea Collection. Donate now to take care of this treasure.