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Image of Giant Antarctic isopod
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Giant Antarctic Isopod

Glyptonotus antarcticus Eights 1852

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Glyptonotus antarcticus (Giant Antarctic Isopod) is a species of isopods in the family Chaetiliidae. They rely on drag powered swimming to move around.

  • URI: https://eol.org/schema/terms/drag_based_swimming
  • Definition: Drag swimmers use a cyclic motion where they push water back in a power stroke, and return their limb forward in the return or recovery stroke. When they push water directly backwards, this moves their body forward, but as they return their limbs to the starting position, they push water forward, which will thus pull them back to some degree, and so opposes the direction that the body is heading. This opposing force is called drag. The return-stroke drag causes drag swimmers to employ different strategies than lift swimmers. Reducing drag on the return stroke is essential for optimizing efficiency.
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EOL has data for 15 attributes, including:

Known occurrences, collected specimens and observations of Giant Antarctic isopod. View this species on GBIF