For the love of isopods

From Roly-Polies to the Deep Sea

For Henry Knauber (PhD student, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt), the journey began in a place familiar to many of us: the garden.

“I had known roly-polies since childhood,” he says, “but it took much longer to realise they’re not insects – they’re crustaceans.” That single fact opened an unexpected door. When he later learned that isopods also inhabit the deepest parts of the ocean – one of the least explored environments on Earth – his curiosity crystallised. “I couldn’t imagine a more interesting group to study to learn about life in the deep sea.”

Everywhere, in Every Form

For Dennis Klüh (PhD student and research assistant, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt), the appeal of isopods lies in their ubiquity and diversity.

“They live literally everywhere,” he explains. “From terrestrial systems to the marine benthos, even the deepest habitats – and our basements.” Their abundance and variety make them ecologically important, especially in nutrient cycling. Through excitement, he also adds, “And, totally objectively speaking, they just look cool as hell”.

The Ocean’s Cleaners, and Its Parasites

Many people picture isopods as harmless detritivores (an animal which feeds on dead organic material), but Katharina Kohlenbach (PhD student, Senckenberg am Meer) is quick to expand that image.

“Isopods are often the ocean’s ‘garbage men,’ recycling nutrients on the seafloor,” she says. But some species take on a very different role: parasitism. From blood-feeding gnathiid juveniles that drive reef fish to cleaning stations, to the notorious Cymothoa exigua that replaces a fish’s tongue, isopods can shape entire ecological interactions.

Finding a Path Through People

Not everyone arrives in taxonomy with a lifelong plan. For Zhehao Hu (MSc student, Senckenberg am Meer), the turning point was not a childhood encounter with isopods but the people he met.

“When I joined Saskia Brix’s group, I was overwhelmed by the passion, inclusivity, and international collaboration,” he says. Given the freedom to design his first project, he found his broader interest in evolution gradually narrowing into a focus on isopods. “The more I learn, the more questions I have.”

Taxonomy, in this sense, is not only about organisms, it is about communities of researchers who make discovery possible.

Mentorship also played a decisive role for Emanuel Pereira (Postdoctoral researcher, IBBEA, UBA-CONICET). He originally dreamed of studying marine mammals, but during his biology degree at the University of Buenos Aires he discovered the world of species description and naming.

“Understanding how new species are discovered fascinated me,” he says. It was through the guidance of Brenda Doti, whose research focuses on the systematics and biogeography of Isopoda, that he found his path into isopod taxonomy. Today, he contributes both as a researcher and an assistant curator, helping build the collections that future scientists will rely on.

Advice for the Next Generation

For Hesmarié Botha (MSc student, North-West University, Chile), the message to students is simple and encouraging:

“You don’t need to have everything figured out – just a genuine interest in the natural world and a willingness to learn.” Taxonomy rewards curiosity, she says, and offers the chance to contribute to understanding and protecting life that remains largely unknown.

In a time when biodiversity loss dominates headlines, the act of discovering and naming species becomes quietly radical: you cannot conserve what you do not know exists.