Not All of God's Critters are Huggable...

Dude! He - or is it a she? - looks like an extra from the movie Cloverfield!

The scientific name for this creature is Bathynomus giganteus. He is - essentially - a deep-sea underwater bug.

And, whew, is he ugly.

Apparently this 30-inch long guy (which makes him only slightly smaller than Tattoo on Fantasy Island) latched onto the side of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operating in the Gulf of Mexico, near an oil rig.

This deep-sea isopod is a cousin of the roly-polies or pill bugs - sort of like a roly-poly on steroids. The next time you think about crushing a roly-poly, just remember: It's cousin might be watching.

Or maybe not. Because these Bathynomus giganteuses live about 8,500 feet below the ocean's surface. (Still, don't step on roly-polies... They're cute and essentially harmless - although they have been known to feed on strawberries.)

Sources close to the Republican Party say they weren't aware that Newt Gingrich could swim that deep under the water.

Buh-zing!

Included below, just in case you need your Bathynomus giganteus fix, is a video of the critters in action, chowing down on a dead hunk of tuna that sank to the bottom of the ocean. And let me tell you: These suckers ain't waiting for the mayonnaise.

Ding-a-ling-a-ling... Supper's on!!!