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Local politics, the county, and the world, as viewed by Tammy Maygra Tammy’s views are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bill Eagle, his wife, his pastor, Tammy’s neighbors, Brady Preheim, Marty Rowe, President Elon Musk, President Trump, Joe Biden, Tim Walz, Jerry Falwell Jr., Mike Johnson, J.D. Vance, Vlad Putin, Ted Cruz, Kamala Harris, Trump’s MAGA followers, or my neighbor’s dogs. This Tammy’s Take (with the exception of this disclaimer) is not paid for or written by, or even reviewed by anyone but Tammy and she refuses to be bullied by anyone. See Bill’s Standard Disclaimer
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GIANT SEA BUG
Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen giant sea bug after studying samples purchased from fishers in Vietnam. Belongs to the genus Bathynomus, giant isopods that are abundant in cold, deep waters. Weighing over 2.2 pounds and growing up to 12.8 inches long, making it one of the largest known isopods. The species is named "vaderi" because its head resembles Darth Vader's iconic helmet from Star Wars. So far it's only been found near the Spratly Islands, an archipelago in the South China Sea, but it may also live in other parts of the South China Sea, according to researchers. Researchers examined samples caught by local fishers and found that a few specimens had distinctive physical features that marked them as a newfound species. The team described B. vaderi's pronounced depression in its hip bone and a unique bony ridge protruding from its coracoid bone that distinguishes it from other supergiant isopods. The researchers noted that Bathynomus species have recently become a delicacy in Vietnam, often compared to lobster. The local demand has turned these sea bugs into an expensive staple of the live-seafood market, leading to increased fishing pressures in the region. Hopefully these people will not over fish and decimate the population like many fisheries have done to other fish species. This commercial interest provides both opportunities and challenges, the researchers said. The rapidly growing market could threaten giant isopods, but it could also pave the way for stricter regulations and sustainable practices in deep-sea fishing. B. vaderi is not the largest isopod species. That title goes to B. jamesi, which can grow to around 20 inches and weigh 5.7 pounds . Supergiant isopods are often found in deep-sea environments so they are challenging to study due to their inaccessibility. It is exciting to discover new life on our planet, hopefully as we discover these new species to us we can have the intelligence to make sure that we do not exploit them.
Tammy
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