Species of the Bathynomus genus. Wander round the internet long enough and no doubt youll stumble across a picture of one of these creatures. Itll probably have been a picture of what looks like a woodlouse next to someones hand or a container or in one I found, a kitten! These creatures actually exist and at their biggest, can reach sizes of 76 centimeters and weigh nearly 2 kilos. So the next time youre in a supermarket, see that bag of sugar? They get that big. This is an excellent example of deep sea gigantism. Under certain conditions, smaller creatures can become giants compared to their counterparts in shallower water. The reason why this happens isnt fully understood (aliens, most likely). One suggestion has been adaption to the colder temperatures at deeper depths. Its thought that at colder temperatures, their normal bodily processes are reduced and as decapods constantly grow, they are able to achieve larger sizes. Discovered in 1879 by the French zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards and his colleague Alexander Agassiz, to date they have been found off the coast of North and South America and the Indo-Pacific Ocean. They have been recorded at depths as low as 2,500 meters, where they scavenge on whatever else is on the seafloor. This includes the same fallen whales that zombie worms prey on. They arrive early and feed on the whale while there are still flesh parts to be nibbled at.