What is deep-sea gigantism?

Some deep-sea animals growing much larger than shallow relatives

Animals shrinking in deep water

What did a Japanese aquarium's isopod famously do?

Refuse food for about five years

How can they protect themselves?

By partly rolling up their armored body

Giant Isopod Quiz: Deep-Sea Scavengers That Rarely Eat

This giant isopod quiz descends to the cold sea floor where these armored scavengers roam. Play 10 interactive questions on their kinship with garden woodlice, deep-sea gigantism, sizes up to around 40 cm or more, feeding on whale falls and dead fish, slow metabolism, an aquarium isopod that refused food for years, compound eyes and rolling up for defense.

Start Giant Isopod Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Kin
Which land animal is a relative of the giant isopod?
Home
Where do giant isopods live?
Size
About how large can giant isopods grow?
Why
What is deep-sea gigantism?
Food
What do giant isopods mainly eat?
Whale
What is a whale fall?
Fast
How long can giant isopods go without eating?
Aquarium
What did a Japanese aquarium's isopod famously do?
Eyes
What kind of eyes do they have?
Defense
How can they protect themselves?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which land animal is a relative of the giant isopod?
Answer: The woodlouse, or pill bug
Both are crustaceans.
Q2: Where do giant isopods live?
Answer: On the deep sea floor
Cold, dark water is home.
Q3: About how large can giant isopods grow?
Answer: Around 40 cm or more
They are huge for isopods.
Q4: What is deep-sea gigantism?
Answer: Some deep-sea animals growing much larger than shallow relatives
Cold and pressure may play a role.
Q5: What do giant isopods mainly eat?
Answer: Dead animals that sink
They are scavengers.
Q6: What is a whale fall?
Answer: A dead whale on the sea floor
It feeds many creatures.
Q7: How long can giant isopods go without eating?
Answer: A very long time, even years
Food is scarce in the deep.
Q8: What did a Japanese aquarium's isopod famously do?
Answer: Refuse food for about five years
It drew worldwide attention.
Q9: What kind of eyes do they have?
Answer: Large compound eyes
They catch dim light.
Q10: How can they protect themselves?
Answer: By partly rolling up their armored body
Their armor plates overlap.

Armored Scavengers of the Deep

Giant isopods are crustaceans related to the woodlice found in gardens. They live on the cold, dark deep sea floor in parts of the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific. Through deep-sea gigantism, some grow to around 40 cm or more, far larger than their shallow-water relatives.

They are scavengers, feeding on dead animals that sink from above, including whale falls, the carcasses of whales that feed many creatures for years. Food is scarce, so giant isopods have slow metabolisms and can go a very long time without eating. A giant isopod at a Japanese aquarium famously refused food for about five years.

Large compound eyes catch the faint light of the deep, and overlapping armor plates protect them. When threatened, they can partly roll up their bodies. Scientists study them to learn how animals survive in such a harsh place.

What This Quiz Teaches

Ocean fans will enjoy these questions.

What giant isopods are
Where they live
How they feed
How they survive without food
How they defend themselves

Did You Know?

Fishermen sometimes find them in traps.
They have seven pairs of legs.
Females carry eggs in a brood pouch.
Some restaurants have served them.
They are popular plush toys in Japan.