A group of researchers led by Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum head of National University of Singapore’s Peter Ng went on a 14-day expedition, surveying the unucharted seas off the southern coast of West Java in Indonesia, have discovered something interesting.
The team uncovered more than 800 species, including sponges, jellyfishes, starfishes, urchins, worms, crabs and fishes, including 12 new species.
But it is the discovery of a cockroach-looking creature that has caught the eye.
The giant isopod has since been named Bathynomus Raksasa.
These creatures are distantly related to crabs and nicknamed “sea cockroach” due to their resemblance to common cockroaches, and they can be found in the deep waters of the oceans.
They can grow up to 33cm on average, but the ones that grow up to 50cm are categorised as “supergiants”.
However, as the deep seas are difficult and inaccessible, it remains tough to learn more about these creatures due to the expensive equipment required for surveys.