# Identify these "awful" animals (with pics!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790 "2009-12-28T11:45:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MatthewGerlach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@MatthewGerlach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MatthewGerlach)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/41 "2009-12-29T14:18:35Z")
The vampire squid appears in the last episode of the Planet Earth documentaries. It’s an amazing creature, especially when its tentacles lit up to misguide predators. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/42 "2009-12-29T16:41:39Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bathynomus_giganteus.jpg)’s another photo for you, from a less frightening angle. god…damn…you… ---
**Author:** ![St.Anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@St.Anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Anger)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/43 "2009-12-29T19:55:23Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > “Awful?” Come on. It’s not like they can help the way they look! > > And a lot of them don’t even come close to looking like what I would call awful. Seriously - [this?](http://izismile.com/img/img2/20090106/nature_19.jpg) That’s like, one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. How could anyone call that awful? I also dislike the term “awful” though I’m sure it was used tongue in cheek. Horseshoe crabs are a great example. They are creepy looking but in fact are great survivors who have relatives that are almost similar in appearance going back 400 million years (the Atlantic species is “only” 20 millions years old), and are a fantastic living example of what many lifeforms must have looked like when life started here on Earth. ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/44 "2009-12-29T21:26:55Z")
Number 19 is Pikachu. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/45 "2009-12-29T21:34:53Z")
I agree with **GuanoLad** - the sea slug is a rather pretty shade of blue, and quite graceful. Not awful at all. The Watusi bull is gross looking, but most of those overbred domesticated animals look like that. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/46 "2009-12-29T21:35:42Z")
Those are awful? They’re nothing compared to the way I look in the morning before I’ve had my coffee. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/47 "2009-12-29T22:08:12Z")
I would just like to say that I’d rather the girl from The Ring climb out of my monitor than that god damn giant marine isopod! Seriously, I feel squeamish knowing such a thing exists on the same planet as I do. I hope to god they are endangered and are going to be wiped out soon. I’m never swimming at the beach again knowing one of those things can crawl out of the water and devour me. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/48 "2009-12-29T22:35:17Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I would just like to say that I’d rather the girl from The Ring climb out of my monitor than that god damn giant marine isopod! Seriously, I feel squeamish knowing such a thing exists on the same planet as I do. I hope to god they are endangered and are going to be wiped out soon. I’m never swimming at the beach again knowing one of those things can crawl out of the water and devour me. Unless you’re swimming below 1200 feet, you’re probably OK. Some more [fun facts](http://www.whozoo.org/Anlife2001/chelsy/clh_Bathynomus.htm). I’ve included the more interesting tidbits for you: Status: Not Threatened Very Large set of compound eyes Two pairs of antannae Four sets of jaws Grow to 18" long and weigh up to 3 pounds Have the ability to catch large prey There’s two at the Fort Worth Zoo, in case you find yourself with time to kill at DFW and are looking for something to do. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/49 "2009-12-29T22:41:57Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > [Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bathynomus_giganteus.jpg)’s another photo for you, from a less frightening angle. Meanwhile, in the Florida Everglades – well, actually at a corporate retreat center in Barbados – the Legion of Doom meets in secret… ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/50 "2009-12-29T22:59:18Z")
I’m thinking those giant isopods, if they normally live so deep, probably really hate being in direct sunlight. I’ll bet they’re completely blinded, and they look like they’d sunburn easily 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/51 "2009-12-29T23:32:42Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > [ul] > [li]**[pelagic sea slug]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pelagic\_sea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pelagic_sea) slug)**[/li][/ul] I love this line from the article: _This species floats upside down on the surface tension of the ocean._ That just blows me away from all sides. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/52 "2009-12-30T00:55:15Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Unless you’re swimming below 1200 feet, you’re probably OK. > > Some more [fun facts](http://www.whozoo.org/Anlife2001/chelsy/clh_Bathynomus.htm). I’ve included the more interesting tidbits for you: > > Status: Not Threatened > Very Large set of compound eyes > Two pairs of antannae > Four sets of jaws > Grow to 18" long and weigh up to 3 pounds > Have the ability to catch large prey > There’s two at the Fort Worth Zoo, in case you find yourself with time to kill at DFW and are looking for something to do. 🙂 Check that as one place where I will never be then. 4 sets of jaws? Who the hell needs 4 fucking sets of jaws? This thing is a menace. I would rather be trapped in a mausoleum with zombies than in a 100 x 100 foot room with one of these things. I seriously cannot describe the horror that I felt after seeing that picture. The combination of its evil gleam, jaws, and countless legs along with the disgustingly segmented body sends chills up my spine just thinking about it ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/53 "2009-12-30T01:14:22Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Check that as one place where I will never be then. 4 sets of jaws? Who the hell needs 4 fucking sets of jaws? This thing is a menace. I would rather be trapped in a mausoleum with zombies than in a 100 x 100 foot room with one of these things. I seriously cannot describe the horror that I felt after seeing that picture. The combination of its evil gleam, jaws, and countless legs along with the disgustingly segmented body sends chills up my spine just thinking about it My daughter, reading over my shoulder, was greatly amused at the juxtaposition of your Username and reaction to one of the Deep Ones. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/54 "2009-12-30T06:39:25Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m never leaving Ohio. This is my usual reaction to such pictures. I like living in the city where the most I have to fear is a cockroach - which granted are gross and disturbing, but at least they’re not big enough to eat me. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/55 "2009-12-30T09:58:11Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Check that as one place where I will never be then. 4 sets of jaws? Who the hell needs 4 fucking sets of jaws? This thing is a menace. I would rather be trapped in a mausoleum with zombies than in a 100 x 100 foot room with one of these things. I seriously cannot describe the horror that I felt after seeing that picture. The combination of its evil gleam, jaws, and countless legs along with the disgustingly segmented body sends chills up my spine just thinking about it Relax, it’s just an overgrown woodlouse. Besides, they’re apparently quite tasty. In Taiwan they’re served boiled and sliced in half down the middle. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/56 "2009-12-30T22:07:38Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > My daughter, reading over my shoulder, was greatly amused at the juxtaposition of your Username and reaction to one of the Deep Ones. Yog Sothoth is a collection of bubbles. It could even be called cute. It is not a giant disgusting bug, that is more Cthulhu’s forte and we do not get along. In fact, Cthulhu’s probably just jealous because I know where he broke through of old and where he will break through in the future and won’t tell him > [@psychonaut](#): > > Relax, it’s just an overgrown woodlouse. Besides, they’re apparently quite tasty. In Taiwan they’re served boiled and sliced in half down the middle. Woodlouse are tiny and smashable. This this is bigger than my head. Its FRIGHTENING and it knows it. Plus, I’ve killed a lot of woodlouses when I was a kid and they probably are sending one of these things to kill me in my sleep. That picture is the worse. I can see it when I close my eyes. It sits perched upon the side of a boat or something, like it’s climbing out from some nether depths to wreak havok. The eyes glow with a malignant insidiousness and the jaws are cracked open in a ghastly corpse-grin. The legs seem to wiggle to and fro when you blink, how a 2D picture achieves that without black magic I will never know, nor care to find out. Worse of all, I imagine that like bugs, it can move pretty damn fast in relation to its body size. They say a spider jumps the farthest as far as body sizes go, and if a human had that power he’d be able to leap a football field. This _THING_ knows that, it feeds off that fear, crouching with it’s many legs ready to leap at my face like some god damn alien facehugger, only it won’t be shoving it’s penis down my throat, it’ll be eating off my face like some kind of water bug acid. It’s exoskeleton looks like it would make noise when it moves or is killing something, which is probably what it’s doing underwater 99% of its life. Even behind a protective glass, I can hear it; it’s 4!!! fucking jaws chittering with delight at my fear, it’s legs clicking against each other, there is no escape from the noise because you hear it in your mind. It’s like the perfect stalker. It drives it’s victims insane. I would gouge out my ears but in my mind I see that picture clearly, I hear it’s banshee-like shrieks, it’s eyes bore it’s way through me, much like it’s 4!!! fucking jaws would do if it got within 5 feet of me. But by that time, I’m already: torn to pieces by my own hand hoping that could die before that thing is set upon me. It. Is. EVIL. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/57 "2009-12-30T23:57:50Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > It. Is. EVIL. Just ask these guys: [Giant Isopods Ate My Well-Known Brand of Corn Chip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6AiZaGBal0) (YouTube) ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/58 "2009-12-31T00:12:52Z")
The first entry, tadpole shrimps, are also known as “triops” and my son actually had a few as pets. Well, not pets in the traditional sense, more like Sea Monkeys. They came in a kit with a little aquarium and a packet of eggs to which we added water. They hatched overnight, lived for a few weeks, and smelled awful. ---
**Author:** ![Thalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@Thalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thalion)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/59 "2010-01-01T09:21:38Z")
I’ve got to side with **YogSosoth** on this one. These things are [evil killers!](http://scienceblogs.com/deepseanews/upload/2007/04/unknown.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/60 "2010-01-01T10:11:45Z")
[The video.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeOSXtBCY30&feature=related) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790.md?page=2)