General Description

The animal resembles a giant slater or woodlouse having head with a pair of black eyes and feeding mandibles and limbs underneath, a segmented thorax with seven pairs of similar short sharp legs protected by plates along the side, and a segmented abdomen with five pairs of flat gills underneath and a pair of flat paddle-shaped limbs on the side. Up to 500 mm long.

Biology

Deep-sea scavengers that are attracted to dead fish, dolphins, whales and invertebrates fallen to the bottom of the ocean. Four of the 20 species of the genus are endemic to tropical and subtropical Australia.

Distribution

On all tropical and temperate ocean margins from 20 to 2500 m deep, especially around 400 to 500 m deep

Habitat

Muddy seafloor between 20 and 2500 deep

More Information