What on earth?
Scientists in Southeast Asia have discovered a new sea bug off the coast of Vietnam that is so gargantuan it could easily be mistaken for artificial intelligence (AI), according to a study that was published in Zookeys.
A giant isopod, the bug has been named Bathynomus vaderi due to its carapaced cranium looking like the iconic helmet that Darth Vader wore in “Star Wars,” per Livescience. (RELATED: Viral Video Shows Coyote Getting Caught Inside Chicago Grocery Store — And No, I’m Not Talking About A Smuggler)
The species live in incredibly deep waters, and coming in at 2.2 pounds and being 12.8 inches long, these critters are giants. You can compare it to the sow bug, an undersea version of one, being a similar arthropod. The sow bug is usually found in gardens.
According to Popular Science, Hanoi University researchers bought the massive crustacean while at Quy Nhon City seafood market. Afterwards, they worked with scientists in Singapore to identify the bug.
When they were examining the features of B. vaderi, that’s when they discovered that the ocean cockroach was a new species.
🚨DARTH VADER SEA BUG: JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE OCEAN COULDN’T GET WEIRDER
Meet Bathynomus vaderi, a giant sea bug named after Darth Vader because its head resembles the Sith Lord’s helmet.
This deep-sea critter weighs over 2 pounds, grows nearly a foot long, and lurks near… pic.twitter.com/291uAyFdpZ
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 14, 2025
Here are some other photos of this behemoth:
Một loài động vật mới từ biển Việt Nam đã lên báo nước ngoài. Họ gọi chung là Sea Bug, bọ biển. Nhưng loài bọ biển khổng lồ này của Việt Nam có được 1 tên mới riêng cho nó: Bathynomus Vaderi
Các nhà nghiên cứu cho biết Bathynomus vaderi được “đặt theo… pic.twitter.com/1fZvJHBK0K
— Henry Quang (@UnghoUkraine) January 15, 2025
Who knew the ocean had giant cockroaches? (You really do learn something new everyday)
