Giant ocean-dwelling isopods are on the menu in Vietnam. Scientists discovered a new species among specimens captured for the food market, and it's a doozy.

By James WoodfordA large crustacean that lives in the sea off Vietnam has been designated as a new species and named after Darth Vader.Bathynomus vaderi is a kind of isopod, a group that also includes woodlice.

The dark side of the ocean: a newly discovered species of giant isopod has been named after the Star Wars villain Darth Vader because of its

A purchase at an urban Vietnamese fish market turned out to be a whole new species of giant isopod –with a bit of a dark side. The foot-long crustacean has been named Bathynomus vaderi and sports a head that resembles the iconic helmet of Darth Vader from the Star Wars.

Giant isopods of the genus Bathynomus, which can reach more than 30 cm in length, are known as bọ biển or "sea bugs" in Vietnam. For the first time, one such species was described from Vietnamese waters and named Bathynomus vaderi.