The alligators in this study were donated by the state of Louisiana
August 6, 2019 12:52 AM Subscribe
Part I: This story starts with my research team currently deploying alligators* (3 total, 2 – 2.5 meters in length) at three different sites 2000 meters deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
Part II: Giant isopods eating an alligator in the deep sea.
Isopods are crustaceans that are related to pillbugs, but are the size of a football. Content warning for the video, giant isopods reaaaaaallly look a lot like monster bugs.
Amazifying!!
posted by Pendragon at 2:48 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Pendragon at 2:48 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
That really stretches my defintion of "deploy alligators."
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:59 AM on August 6, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:59 AM on August 6, 2019 [8 favorites]
I posted some more links about giant isopods eating alligators previously if this isn't enough isopod alligator carnage for you.
posted by ChuraChura at 5:06 AM on August 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 5:06 AM on August 6, 2019 [2 favorites]
The first link talks about live alligators sometimes swimming ashore on ocean beaches, which would certainly add a certain frisson to your beach vacation.
The video is neat, but I was hoping for some kind of time-lapse series showing the progressive consumption of the carcass. (Like, do the isopods eat the skin, or does that get left behind?)
posted by Dip Flash at 5:15 AM on August 6, 2019
The video is neat, but I was hoping for some kind of time-lapse series showing the progressive consumption of the carcass. (Like, do the isopods eat the skin, or does that get left behind?)
posted by Dip Flash at 5:15 AM on August 6, 2019
The Gulf is America's best ocean.
posted by eustatic at 7:04 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by eustatic at 7:04 AM on August 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
I totally missed your post ChuraChura, and it was way better. Double? But really, I think giant isopods need multiple posts.
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:06 PM on August 6, 2019
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:06 PM on August 6, 2019
I don’t know the name, but a YT channel I watch occasionally features full animal sashimi, tempura, etc. demonstrations? Dissections? Giant clams. Weird, ugly fish. One especially memorable one was a giant isopod. As messed up a spectacle as you might imagine. The killing was weird. The blood was weird. All of it. “I could never eat a bug.”
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 4:19 PM on August 6, 2019
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 4:19 PM on August 6, 2019
Frankly, I think giant isopods are underexposed. The more, the better!
posted by ChuraChura at 8:51 PM on August 6, 2019
posted by ChuraChura at 8:51 PM on August 6, 2019
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posted by threecheesetrees at 2:39 AM on August 6, 2019 [3 favorites]