Bathynomus giganteus

[Scythemantis]

I know this thread is getting a little old, but I need to clear some things up:

I've never been lucky enough to meet one of these creatures in person, but I know people who have handled them in laboratories and yes, they CAN be kept in the same conditions as an ordinary lobster. They adapt very well to captivity at sea level...hardy as a cockroach, I'm told.

Sometimes they are captured accidentally in deep-water fish traps.

Unfortunately, they have no presence in the hobby because the average salt water hobbyist doesn't want something large and colorless that looks like a woodlouse.

 

[P.jasonius]

...

Unfortunately, they have no presence in the hobby because the average salt water hobbyist doesn't want something large and colorless that looks like a woodlouse.

Not to mention probably eat everything in the tank.
Seriously, thanks for the info on the pressure ordeal. My wife gave the ok to get one (actually said she wants one), so next step is getting a large enough tank to hold one. Luckily I found a supplier of aquarium that is dirt cheap, and makes custom sizes, at a reptile show.
www.glasscages.com
Someone find information on an affordable chiller unit, let's make this happen.

 

[324r350]

Looks like some good news for a change. Chiller units are measured by their power rating. Since Scythemantis pointed out that the animals can adapt to surface water conditions, I assume too much of a chiller would be unnecessary and any kind of unit would be more of a precaution. Right now 1/3 to 1/6 hp is looking like it fits the wallet fine. Transportation of the animal (and myself) will probably be equally expensive, hence the limit.

 

[P.jasonius]

The whozoo website stated the animals were kept at temperatures close to freezing, but this, as you stated, may not be necessary. For an animal recovered from these temperatures, it may be more important. If one can get the animals to breed it probably becomes less important to subsequent generations. Just speculating.

 

[Wade]

One thing you might want to look into is buying a lobster tank as used by seafood shops and resturants. Filter and chiller would be included. Not cheap, but you might be able to get one cheaper if you watch out for auctions, used resturant equipment sales, etc. Check the phone book for stores selling such equipment.

I have friends in the saltwater hobby/buisness who have told me of giant marine isopods being offered for sale. I don't know if it's this species (or even how many species there are), but it would indicate that aquiring one may not be completely imposssible.

Wade

 

[Tleilaxu]

Well good luck! You had better get two and shoot for breeding! Of course pics are mandatory.

 

[P.jasonius]

One thing you might want to look into is buying a lobster tank as used by seafood shops and resturants. Filter and chiller would be included. Not cheap, but you might be able to get one cheaper if you watch out for auctions, used resturant equipment sales, etc. Check the phone book for stores selling such equipment.

I have friends in the saltwater hobby/buisness who have told me of giant marine isopods being offered for sale. I don't know if it's this species (or even how many species there are), but it would indicate that aquiring one may not be completely imposssible.

Wade

Excellent tip, didn't think of that.
Giant marine isopod would fit the bill, even if it preceded having a Bathynomous spp.

 

[324r350]

Just found this, local pickup in my area.
Can anyone say yes or no?
http://cgi.ebay.com/marineland-lobs...DVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item230098740253

 

[P.jasonius]

To stay on topic, I pm'ed you...
--
Custom chiller topic in another forum:
http://www.killies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1069

 

[evertebrata]

Are there still attempts?

Hello evryone,

I really love the animals of the genus Bathynomus and I would like to keep them as live specimen. Right now it is not possible but I have gotten myself a few preserved specimen. Sometime in the future I would also like to keep some in an aquarium, maybe in some kind of zoo.

For now I am really dying to know if any of the people that posted here did get anywhere with finding living specimen and were even able to keep them for some time. I´ve seen they have done it in a few public aquaria and in the meantime they went crazy about Bathynomus giganteus on the internet, mainly because they have accidentally hauled up one measuring 76 cm. My biggest preserved specimen is around 180 mm long but I am also searching for a real biggie (around 30 cm/1 foot onwards). I will use the preserved ones in classes to show how nice arthropods can get.

For all the ones of you who are interested in Isopoda in general I can tell you that I have some terrestrial species from European parts. And there was a discussion about size of terrestrail arthropods. My biggest species so far is from Southern France and they get 23 mm long and 12 mm wide; they belong to the family Armadillidiidae but so far I have no scientific name for them. Others of the same family are 20 mm long and one species I have gets alos 19-20 mm long and they are no Armadillidiidae and are rather flat and not able to roll into a ball.

Pictures can be seen on www.schulvivarium.de

Also very nice would be if anyone can send me some of the big ones that live on the shore; maybe we could exchange these Isopoda species. I am also still searching for bigger species that are living in the tropical rainforest. I have seen a nice picture of one from Thailand and it was black and yellow. To judge the size is always difficult with only leaves of unknown plants to compare on the picture but I guess that species was not so big but still I have never met anyone who tried to keep and breed them. I will continue to try to get some of them imported. Most of the times they are mistaken for Sphaerotheriida a group of Diplopoda that also can roll into a ball like the Isopoda of the family Armadillidiidae but the bigger species of these "millipedes" are up to date impossible to breed hence a lot of tries (including myself). Anyway, I think the Armadillidiiae are real cool and not complicated to breed at all.

I know in the Internet-World this thread is older than a stone but then I am 40 this year so you might have mercy with me..........I just want to know what happens and there are not a lot of people who really consider to keep Bathynomus in aquaria. I know that it is not cheap but what is again the price for a mere Poecilotheria subfusca or P. metallica in the USA? If you compare that spending a few thousand bucks on a chilled seawater aquarium is really cheap.......here in Central Europe hundreds of hobbyists - nah, what do I write, probably thousands, have Poecilotheria and they all look the same; I think it´s really lame/boring but how many people in the world have a small Bathynomus in their tank?

Thank you for any updates on the Bathynomus breeding programme!

Kind regards

Timm

Timm ADAM
www.evertebrata.de
www.schulvivarium.de

 

[Lucas339]

i have some preserved ones.

 

[dtknow]

It seems in all likelihood you'd have to collect them yourself.

 

[Partiallygoldenisopod]

I

Does anyone know if and where it is possible to purchase these and if keeping them as a pet is feasible?

Know I'm new but you might not have to stimulate that sense because a couple of years ago they are finding them in less common spots like in rivers and streams. They might not be the same species of isopos but it looks the same with many a little lighter ting to it's back just try looking beer the gulf of Mexico and you can find one maby.

 

[Ajohnson5263]

I know this is an old thread. but this guy supposedly caught one in a canal in southern Florida, it definitely looks real, although i feel like he more than likely got it though a fisherman and placed it there.

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

Based on a few videos I've seen of people cooking them, live Bathynomus are now being offered in markets alongside lobsters. Presumably they end up in lobster traps and are now being sold as a novelty item instead of being thrown back, though they apparently don't have much meat and aren't really worth eating.

That's probably how he obtained the isopod. Definitely means they're easier to obtain for anyone who sets up a giant chilled aquarium for them!