Bathynomus vaderi belongs to a group known as "supergiants," reaching lengths of 32.5 cm and weighing over a kilogram. So far, this new species has only been found near the Spratly Islands in Vietnam, but further research will probably confirm its presence in other parts of the South China Sea.

Giant isopods like Bathynomus vaderi have become an expensive delicacy in Vietnam. Until 2017, local fishermen only sold them as a bycatch product for low prices, but in recent years the media has drawn public attention to this unusual seafood. Some go as far as claiming it's more delicious than lobster, the "king of seafood."

These animals have been commercially fished by trawlers operating in various deep-water parts of Biển Đông (East Sea, Vietnamese part of the South China Sea) and offshore of provinces in the south-central coastal region of Vietnam.

Over the last five years, it has become common to see them sold alive in some seafood markets in Hanoi, Hồ Chí Minh City, and Đà Nẵng City. Some outlets and restaurants even advertise the sale of these "sea bugs" online on various social media platforms.

In March 2022, staff from Hanoi University purchased four giant isopod individuals from Quy Nhơn City and sent two of them to Peter Ng from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore for identification.