> they are sent alive to restaurants in Hanoi, where there is a high demand for them. In Hanoi, Bathynomus once was sold at high prices, but this has decreased over the years. In 2017, the price was up to 2 million Vietnamese Dong (ca USD $80) per kilogram, with large individuals reaching 2 kg in weight. As noted above, large specimens of B. jamesi can reach weights in excess of 2.5 kg. Because of these prices, fishermen started to increase the supply, and by 2023 the price dropped to around 1.5 million Vietnamese Dong per kilogram; by early 2024, it was about 1 million Vietnamese Dong (ca USD $40) per kilogram for 1–2 kg individuals.
> In 2017, specimens had to be pre-ordered, and diners had to wait up to a month to collect their Bathynomus specimens in seafood outlets in Hanoi. Today, some seafood markets in Hanoi, Hồ Chí Minh City, and Đà Nẵng City keep up to 30 individuals in their chilled water tanks for customers to buy. It is also common to see advertisements selling “sea bugs” on social network by some seafood stores. Once they are purchased online, the stores will immediately ship the alive animals in icebox to customers. Individuals weighing between 0.6–0.9 kg are the best sellers because the price is more affordable. Large specimens in excess of 2 kg are also sought after as they are less common, and their size makes for an impressive dish. [OK, this is novelty.] In mid-2024, prices in some places in Hanoi have dropped and cost only 0.68 million Vietnamese Dong (ca USD $27) per kilogram.
Steadily increasing supply in the face of high public demand is not the sign of a novelty item.