One of our ROVs caught some video of a really neat looking critter, kind of reminds me of those old trilobites that fossilized really well. Also kind of looks like a giant wood louse.
So, any ideas dopers on what this is?
Thanks!
I believe that’s a giant isopod. What is your awesome job, if you don’t mind me asking?
It’s a tick.
I’m an offshore seismic data processor. The guys who pilot the ROVs that lay our seismic nodes that record the data down on the sea floor sometimes catch video of some really cool looking critters, and then forward the pictures to us (or sometimes we get to watch it live as they are seeing them).
Definitely looks like a giant isopod as you said. Very quick identification! Thanks so much 
I agree, isopod.
Very cool to get to see the things you do. If a company ever starts offering rides on those… I’d pay for sure!
It happens maybe 2 or 3 times a year that we see anything “interesting.”
You’d be bored out of your mind and have to pay for several months of riding along just to have a chance at it, lol 
But yeah when it does happen, we are lucky and sometimes it’s hilarious. We often have crabs that like to sit on top of our nodes, and they have to use the sticky foot to push them off.
As an aside, Atlantis Submarines in Grand Cayman used to offer a 1000ft dive in a three person (pilot included) research-style sub. Put your money down and they would take you down the side of the Cayman Wall. Plenty to see.
Unfortunately they stopped offering the deep sub after a hurricane in 2004. I think the sub was damaged.
So how big is that thing? Impossible to tell from the picture if it’s 1" long or 3’ long.
They are between 1ft and 3ft in length I think. You could hold them in your hands. Look up “Giant Isopod” on google and you’ll see some people holding them and whatnot. Big but not like the size of a whale or anything.
A reasonable observation, as they are, in fact, related.
There’s also this guy, who eats and then takes the place of the tongue of certain fish.
Nightmare fuel, that.
Don’t be so suspicious.
Giant isopods are pretty popular organisms in the marine science world. Everyone always thinks we get in this field because we love dolphins, sea turtles, and the like but the truth is it’s weird organisms like this (that very few people get to see) that get us going.
They’re about the size of a football (US) or rugby ball.