Monster of the deep: Shocked oil workers catch TWO-AND-A-HALF-FOOT 'woodlouse'

Daily Mail, by DAILY MAIL REPORTER, 1:46 PM on 02nd April 2010

This deep sea creepy-crawly gave oil workers a fright, after the unexpected visitor hitched a ride on a submarine sent from a rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

The 2.5ft beast normally lives 8,500ft under water and this specimen is thought to be the largest giant isopod found at this depth.

From head to toe, I'm two and a half feet long (30 inches). This giant isopod was found clinging to a submarine being used by oil contractors

What you lookin' at? The bathynomus giganteus, seen head on

Called the Bathynomus Giganteus, it is a super-sized cousin of the humble woodlouse.

Its legs are arranged in seven pairs, and its front two are able to manipulate and bring food to its four sets of jaws. It is a scavenger that feeds on dead whales, fish and squid.

The species is abundant in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and is a good example of deep-sea gigantism.

Many deep-sea crustaceans and invertebrates tend to be larger than their shallow-water counterparts.

It is not yet known whether this is due to the colder temperature, higher pressure or scarcer food resources.

The unexpected visitor hitched a ride on a submarine sent from a rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The creature is a cousin of the humble woodlouse (above) who measures a mere half an inch.