Giant ocean-dwelling isopods are on the menu in Vietnam. Scientists discovered a new species among specimens captured for the food market, and it's a doozy.

A marine crustacean that looks like Darth Vader’s helmet has been recognised as a new species, but it could be under threat from trawling due to its popularity in Vietnamese restaurants

Giant isopods of the genus Bathynomus, which can reach more than 30 cm in length, are known as bọ biển or "sea bugs" in Vietnam. For the first time, one such species was described from Vietnamese waters and named Bathynomus vaderi.

In 2022, staff from Hanoi University purchased a selection of 'supergiant' isopods at a seaford market in Quy Nhơn City in Vietnam, intrigued by a burgeoning market for the deep sea crustaceans as a delicacy.

The dark side of the ocean: a newly discovered species of giant isopod has been named after the Star Wars villain Darth Vader because of its

A purchase at an urban Vietnamese fish market turned out to be a whole new species of giant isopod –with a bit of a dark side. The foot-long crustacean has been named Bathynomus vaderi and sports a head that resembles the iconic helmet of Darth Vader from the Star Wars.

Its size is comparable to a rabbit or even a young cat, weighing over 1kg. First brought to the surface by deep sea trawlers, it has become an expensive delicacy in Vietnam where