wow thats some good info,the tongue bit sounds like your winding me up but i bow to your knoledge,,not only do they look cool they sound cool,i agree with you isopods rock,,,oceanobsession289;1373310; said:Here is the short version of some info on giant isopods that my work gave to me.
Giant Isopod Bathynomus giganteus
"Giant Isopods are a parasitic crustaceans that attatch themselves at the base of the tongue of the rose spotted snapper. With the claws on its front three pairs of legs, it extracts blood. As the parasite grows, less and less blood is able to reach the tongue, and eventually the organ 'atrophies' from the lack of blood. The parasite then replaces the fish's tongue with its own body, by attatching to the muscle of the tongue stub. The fish is able to use the parasite just like a normal tongue, except that it has to share its food with the isopod. this is the only know case of a parasite functionally replacing a host organ."
"A giant isopod may be one of approximately nine species of large isopods (crustaceans related to shrimp and crabs) in the genus Bathynomus. They are thought to be abundant in cold, deep water of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean."
"Maturing in length between 19 and 37cm, and reaching a weight of approximately 1.7kg (3 lbs). Most other isopods range in size from 1-5cm."
"Giant isopods are important scavengers in the deep-sea benthic environment; they are found at a depth of 550 ft to the pitch darkness of 7,020 ft, where pressures are high and temperatures are very low. They are thought to prefer muddy or clay substrates and lead solitary lives."
"Although scavengers, these giant isopods are mostly carnivorous and feed on dead whales, fish, and squid; they may also be active predators of slow moving prey such as sea cucumbers, sponges, radiolarians, nematodes, and other zoobenthos, and perhapse even live fish. They are adapted to long periods of famine and have been known to survive over eight weeks without food in the aquarium.When a significant source of food is encountered, giant isopods gorge themselves to the point of 'compromising their locamotive ability'.
A brooding female is at risk of losing her eggs if she overindulges in the food to the point of bloating."
Also, giant isopods may lay the largest eggs of any marine invertebrate. And when threatned they can roll themselves up into a tight ball where they are protected by their strong armor-plated shells.
Giant isopods are Awesome!!!
*** Dec POTM *** TIE BREAKER POLL ***
- Thread starter Gr8KarmaSF
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looks like #1 has more votes. but # 2 is better IMO. who ever has #2 should enter it next month.
I vote for No.1. I dont usually like that kind of fish. But that one was a real beauty and had great colours. Good Job.
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