In the dark, isopods become giants

Compared to its peers, the deep sea garbage collector aka the giant isopod grows into a giant of several kilos. One of the oddest phenomena of extreme environments is that the relatives of small creatures become huge, whereas the relatives of large animals become small. One of the most well-known and scary examples is the giant isopod: a scavenger living in deep waters of the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Indian Oceans. Normally, isopods live in shallow waters and are common throughout the world. They typically only grow a few cm long and weigh a few grammes. But in the abyss, they have a different appearance. There, they grow 30-40 cm long and may weigh 3+ kg. According to scientists, giant isopods have grown so big, because they have found a niche as deep sea garbage collectors, which clear up all sorts of dead material that sinks down from higher water layers.