Scientists have discovered a new species of sea bug off the coast of Vietnam and have named it after Darth Vader after noticing its resemblance to the iconic villain.
The giant sea bugs, named Bathynomus vaderi, are members of the isopod family and can grow up to 13 inches long. The critter was described in a new study that was recently published in the peer-reviewed jouirnal ZooKeys.
In the study, the largest specimen weighted over 2.2 pounds and measured over 32 centimeters long, making it one of the largest known isopods in the world.

While their overall body structure is similar to other crustaceans in the cirolanids isopod family, they have evolved to be much bigger, according to Dr. Conni Sidabalok, a co-author of the study.
In fact, most isopods found in the sea are very small, usually measuring less than one inch in length.
Interestingly enough, these giant isopods have been consumed and sold as a bycatch product for many years. It wasn’t until recently that they grew in popularity, with several people claiming that it tastes even better than lobster.
In early 2022, the University of Hanoi purchased four of these super giant sea bugs and sent them to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which has a crustacean laboratory, for identification.
In 2023, the team of researchers learnt that the giant isopods were specimens that belonged to the Bathynomus genus. They subsequently named the new critter Bathynomus vaderi, in honor of the iconic Star Wars villain due to its resemblance to the character.
Like most isopods, the B. vaderi reside in the deep waters and feed on dead material. Scientists believe their massive size may provide them with a competitive advantage over other bottom dwellers.
There are approximately 10,000 species of isopods worldwide and thie Bathynomus family consists of 20 species, all of which can be found in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans.

The newly discovered isopods, however, have only been discovered off the coast of Vietnam, near the Spratly Islands. Further research will be necessary to determine whether or not they can also be found in others parts of the South China Sea.
They also have a unique feature that’s not shared with any other known isopod – the last segment of their leggs curve slightly backward and narrows at the end.
To confirm this, Sidabalok and her team looked at specimens of many related species from museums across various countries. They also worked with many experts in the area.
For the study, they also analyzed the DNA of the newly discovered sea bug. However, there wasn’t enough genetic data for existing members of the Bathynomus species for comparison, which made identification difficult.