A
giant isopod is any of the almost 20
species of large
isopods (
crustaceans distantly related to the shrimp and crabs, which are
decapods) in the
genus Bathynomus. They are thought to be abundant in cold, deep waters of the
Atlantic,
Pacific and
Indian Oceans.
Bathynomus giganteus, the species upon which the
generitype is based, is often considered the largest isopod in the world, though other comparably poorly known species of
Bathynomus may reach a similar size (e.g.,
B. kensleyi).