Help! How to put giant "cockroaches" in ramen!

Recently, a ramen restaurant in Taipei, China has sparked heated discussion because of an unusual bowl of ramen.

This bowl of ramen looks like this｜Ramen Gongzi

This ramen restaurant said that the special ingredient they use is " giant isopod ", which has a taste and smell similar to lobster . Although it does not taste as solid as lobster, it is very fresh and sweet.

Like a giant mantis shrimp

Steam it in a pot

Later, an expert came out to say that the store did not use the giant isopod, but the James isopod (Bathynomus jamesi), a new species introduced into Taiwan in 2022. It is of the same genus as the giant isopod and has a similar appearance. It feeds on the carrion of marine organisms.

Although the James Isopoda is still relatively new, the King Isopoda has long been a popular cute creature on the Internet! But is this popular creature really edible?

Deep sea cockroach

A cell phone case that was popular among young people in Japan was made in the shape of an alien-like deep-sea animal. It was very cool when answering the phone. The animal with the cool shape is the giant isopod (Bathynomus giganteus).

It feels like holding a giant cockroach in your hand... | Philipp Rüegg

The giant isopod, also known as the giant deep-water louse, is a crustacean belonging to the order Isopoda, family Hylostomidae, and genus Giant Isopoda. There are about 20 species of this genus worldwide, living in waters such as the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean .

They usually live in the cold and dark deep sea . Before the 19th century, the academic community generally agreed that "there is no life in the deep sea." It was not until 1879 that French zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards first described a giant isopod from the deep sea of ​​the Gulf of Mexico in the collection of his colleague Alexander Agassiz, which dispelled this myth.

Giant isopods from the deep Atlantic Ocean｜Klaus Rudloff

Whether it is the specific epithet giganteus, the English name “Giant Isopod”, or the Chinese name “Da Wang”, it is enough to show that the giant isopod is the largest known isopod in the world - its body length can reach more than 40cm , as big as a kitten!

Kitten: What is this? ? | Imgur

Horror version of giant mantis shrimp

In the eyes of foodies, the giant isopod does look like a mantis shrimp, especially the lavender "armor" - it is composed of several scaly calcium exoskeletons "covered" together . The first segment is fused with the head, and the tail segment and tail limbs together form a tail shield. The hard exoskeleton can resist enemy attacks. Of course, they can also curl up into a ball like the ball pillbug to avoid natural enemies .

It is not difficult to wait for the feet to form a ball｜The Echinoblog / blogger

In fact, the reason why the giant isopod is so scary is probably related to the Cymothoa exigua, which has a scary appearance and can often be found in the mouths of fish ...

In fact, this is just a survival strategy of the fish louse. They are less than 5cm long and live on the tongue of fish to suck blood. When the fish tongue shrinks, they will replace it and become the "new tongue" of the fish, performing the functions of the tongue. This is the only known parasitic method that replaces the main body in function. So if you open the mouth of a marine fish, there is a certain chance that you will encounter "smiling fish louse"~

Fish lice look a lot like today's protagonist. Swipe left to see photos of scary fish mouths｜Neo Gaf

The giant isopod looks like an enlarged version of the fish louse, so it got caught in the crossfire. After all, they are brothers in the order Isopoda.

As mentioned earlier, giant isopods look fierce, but in fact, they are scavengers, and in the mud of the deep sea, they eat organic debris, such as animal carcasses, like cleaners . However, there are also reports that they will actively attack sharks.

The giant isopod that fights sharks｜imgur

You can eat this?!

In the early years, due to lack of knowledge, the occasional giant isopods caught in commercial fishing were generally ignored and discarded. However, things are different now, and live isopods have gradually become the "guests of honor" in aquariums .

In an aquarium in Okinawa, a species of isopod (not the king) - Bathynomus doederleini - gathers to feed in a seawater tank at only 8°C | Attack of Succulents

One of the most commonly eaten isophrys, which is found in the seabed at a depth of about 150 to 600 meters south of central Honshu, Japan, and also in shallow sea continental shelves. The Japanese not only keep it as a pet, but also as a food .

In many restaurants in Japan and Hong Kong, China, deep water lice are served as hidden menu items and are very popular with diners. There are many ways to cook them, such as salt and pepper curry, grilled, or steamed. It is said that the taste is similar to that of mantis shrimp .

The one that is often eaten is the deep water lice of the dawson, which is relatively small, but some restaurants also have giant isopod dishes｜mooran

Let's go back to the James Isopod Ramen mentioned at the beginning. Relevant experts also reminded that James Isopod is not a traditional food, lives in the deep sea and eats carrion, so we should pay attention to whether there are heavy metal residues .

In addition, in the extreme environment of the deep sea where food is scarce, it takes isopods more than ten years to grow to this size, and they are accidentally caught on land by bottom trawls. This is not only suspected of overfishing, but may also damage the seabed environment.

So let the deep-sea isopods stay in their homes!

Author: Attack of the flesh

Editor: Calendar Girl, Little Towel

Title image source: Ramen Gongzi

This article comes from GuokrNature (ID: GuokrNature)

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