Giant isopod深海巨虱

　　Imagine a woodlouse that can grow longer than a cat, 76cm (2.5 ft) long – and weigh 1.7kg (3.75 lb). Well, it exists and it's called the giant isopod.

　　想象一只鼠妇长得比猫还大，76厘米长，1.7公斤重。这种“鼠妇”确实存在，它叫深海巨虱。

　　It is a crustacean, distantly related to shrimp and crabs. It lives far beneath the waves where growing to relatively giant proportions is not uncommon.

　　这是一种甲壳纲动物，和虾、螃蟹是远方亲戚。它生活在深海处，这里大型动物并非稀奇。

　　This oversized roly-poly shares its terrestrial cousins' rigid exoskeleton and ability to roll into a ball for defence. It has seven pairs of legs, two sets of sensitive antennae and large compound eyes. It is a pale lilac colour.

　　这种超大型鼠妇和它们在地面上的亲戚一样具有坚硬的外骨骼，可以蜷缩成球防御的能力。它们有七对足，两对敏感的触角和大大的复眼。周身浅莲灰色。

　　In cold waters off the US coast it inhabits the sea bed, feasting on the corpses of whales, fish and squid. Food is a rare resource when you live as far down as 2000m (6560 ft) below sea level so when this scavenger finds a meal it attacks.

　　它栖息在美国海岸旁冰冷的海床上，吸食鲸鱼、鱼和鱿鱼的死尸活命。2000米以下的深海中，食物极为稀少，所以当这种食腐动物找到一餐时，它们会进攻。

　　Its targets can include fishermen's trawl nets, and most encounters with the creature occur when it is dragged to the surface as bycatch. In 2010, a huge specimen was found latched onto a remotely-operated vehicle being used in sea surveys.

　　它们的捕食目标包括渔民的捕鱼网，人们最经常见到这种生物是在它们被渔网捎带着打捞到水面上的时候。2010年，一个巨大的深海巨虱被发现挂在一艘进行海上调查的远程操控机械上。

　　Such wild encounters with the animal are rare, but several are held in aquarium collections around the world, and they are particular favourites in Japan.

　　能遇见这种动物的几率很小，但是有一些深海巨虱在世界各地的水族馆里展览，它们在日本尤其受到宠爱。

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（实习编辑：高奕飞）