Giant isopods – a distant cousin of crabs and prawns – are the largest among the thousands of species in the crustacean group, the NOAA Ocean Exploration said on its website.
They are usually found about 170m to 2,140m deep in the ocean, with 80 per cent of them living at a depth of 365m to 730m, Taiwan’s Animal Planet said in a Facebook page.
A Taiwanese expert identified the species as “Bathynomus jamesi”, discovered near the Dongsha islands on the South China Sea. They are thought to be caught at between 300m to 500m.
Since the ramen launched, some scholars have expressed concerns over the potential ecological impact of bottom trawling fishing tactics as well as possible health risks.
But customers at the restaurant disagree.
“If it’s just a special menu, and the giant isopods were caught unintentionally like the restaurant owner says they were, everyone should try it if they get a chance,” said 34-year-old Digell Huang, who works as a genetic counsellor.
“I am very honoured to have this opportunity to taste it,” she added as she ate from a bowl of the isopod-topped noodle.