New deep-sea ‘Darth Vader’ bug species discovered on sale at FOOD MARKET…but they’re so delicious they may not last long
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A NEW species of foot-long giant sea bug has been discovered in plain sight on sale at food markets. The critter has become a popular delicacy in Vietnam and is even being sold live in city restaurants, but somehow remained undocumented until now. The giant isopod's meat is said to be even more delicious than lobster, and commercial fisherman are now hauling it from the sea to meet demand.
![[Person holding a large Bathynomus vaderi, a newly discovered species of giant isopod.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2023-realised-specimens-far-undescribed-963676903.jpg?strip=all&w=389)
The bug's head bears a striking resemblance to Darth Vader - so much so that scientists included the villain in the new Latin name, Bathynomus vaderi. The species belongs to a group of isopods known as “super-giants,” which hit lengths of up 32.5 cm and weighing over a kilogram.
![[Close-up of Bathynomus vaderi, a newly discovered species of giant isopod.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/7a465b24-8262-4f3e-869f-8b18df5cf371.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The incredible size of these creatures is a result of a phenomenon called "deep-sea gigantism". Like the Bathynomus species, B. vaderi has compound eyes, seven body segments, two pairs of antennae, and four sets of jaws. So far, the species has only been documented around the Spratly Islands in Vietnam, but scientists expect to find it in other parts of the South China Sea.
![[Scientist examining two giant isopods in a laboratory.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/c8a4bd46-74a6-4f44-94c5-ed7e330e4df6.jpg?strip=all&w=365)
The meaty bugs have become an expensive delicacy in Vietnam in recent years. Until 2017, local fishermen sold them off cheaply as an unwanted catch on the side, but in recent years the media has drawn public attention to this unusual seafood, driving up prices.
![[A man examining a giant isopod, a newly discovered species named Bathynomus vaderi, in a Vietnamese seafood market.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2023-realised-specimens-far-undescribed-963498834.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
People have compared the taste to other traditional crustaceans, with some even claiming it is better than lobster - the “king of seafood”. The animals are now being commercially fished by trawlers operating in various areas of deep water around Vietnam.
![[Aerial view of Fiery Cross Reef development in the Spratly Islands.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/aerial-view-chinese-development-fiery-963687501.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
