Slaters Pillbugs and Woodlice: Isopoda

Isopods eat plant and animal tissues. Terrestrial species search the forest floor for living and dead plants and fungi, as well as dead bodies and animal waste. At least 10% of their diet is their own waste, which they need to replenish vital nutrients to maintain normal growth rates.

Species that live in the ocean eat algae (AL-jee) and other bits of vegetation, including wood. Some isopods scavenge dead fish and other animals on the ocean bottom. Others are parasites, either all their lives, or only during their early developmental stages.