Information About Squat Lobsters
Squat Lobsters are not true lobsters. They are rather close to the crabs. But like crabs and lobsters they also belong to the group of Crustaceans. We are going to discuss some Squat Lobster facts in this post.
Squat Lobsters live in the oceans. They can
be seen in every part of the world ocean. These animals are odd looking but
colorful creatures. They live on the sea bottoms. There are more
than 900 species recorded so far. So, they can be extremely varied in shape, size, and color.
But in general, these creatures are small in size. Head to end length can vary
from 90 mm to 5 mm.
Squat Lobsters eat plankton. They grow in
thousands in plankton rich places. Bigger fishes and sea animals eat them frequently. They are a big food source for them. So these animals play the very important role of transferring energy from
the producers into the food chain.
These lobsters like creatures are edible
and is a part of sea food menu lists in many countries. These creatures are also used as a
very good source of fish food for commercial fisheries. That is why fishermen all over the world target these marine animals.
Share it on Google +
Share it on Google +
Some of the important species of Squat
Lobsters are discussed below:
Crinoid Squat Lobster
Crinoid Squat Lobster has many names like
Star Lobster or Elegant Lobster. The scientific name of the species is Allogalathea
elegans. They are fancy looking crab like sea animals. They generally lives in
association with the crinoids. There body color and pattern matched with that
of their hosts. They can also live independently. The females grows bigger than
the males.
Tweet this Post
Galathea Pilosa is a colorful Squat Lobster. G.Pilosa is not that abundant in the wild. Actually, it is endemic to the coral islands of French Polynesia. They live in the small blocks of corals and to match with the exquisite color of their backgrounds there bodies are also similarly evolved. That creature is small (about 10 to 12 mm).
Tweet this Post
Galathea Pilosa
Galathea Pilosa is a colorful Squat Lobster. G.Pilosa is not that abundant in the wild. Actually, it is endemic to the coral islands of French Polynesia. They live in the small blocks of corals and to match with the exquisite color of their backgrounds there bodies are also similarly evolved. That creature is small (about 10 to 12 mm).
Eumunida picta
Emunida Picta lives in the coral reefs made
by Lophelia pertusa Corals. These reefs can be seen in the deep part of the
West Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of USA. The Eumunida picta has a orange
body with some whites in the tips of its legs and claws.
Yeti Crabs
Yeti Crabs or Kiwa hirsuta is a fascinating sea
creature. These Squat Lobsters were unknown to man before 2006. They live in
hydrothermal vents and cold steeps, places which are not suitable for most
other animals to live. As they live in the places full of methane and sulfur
mixed in the water, they are not harmed by these toxic elements.
Share it on Facebook
Share it on Facebook
Munidopsis serricornis
Munidopsis serricornis is mainly an
Atlantic Ocean dweller. But some amount of this Squat Lobsters can be found
everywhere. They are the most dominant creatures in the coral reefs of Norway.
Montagu's plated lobster
Montagu's plated lobster or Galathea
squamifera prefers cold waters. So, they can be found mostly in the Atlantic
shores of the Northern Europe. These Squat Lobsters can grow up to 65 mm.
Galathea intermedia
Galathea intermedia live in the North
Eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean. That species of the Squat Lobsters are
very small in size. Even the larger specimens of the creature hardly reach 8
mm. The color of its body is red with a stripe along the back.
Galathea strigosa
Like most other species of Galathea, the
species Galathea stirgosa also lives in the waters near the shores of north and
west Europe. But there are some also in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. they
are larger than most other Squat Lobsters. The adult can be as big as 90 mm in
length (well, it is not so big!). It is edible but not a most common catch by
the fishermen.
Munidopsis andamanica
As the name suggests, M. andamanica lives
near the sea floors of the Andaman Sea. They are known for their unusual diet
of rotten wood. Floating wood rests on the sea floor and becomes food item of
that species. Certain bacteria living inside their body helps them to digest
wood.
FAQ about Squat Lobsters
What is the difference between a Squat
Lobster and a “True” Lobster?
Squat Lobsters are more related to crabs
than Lobsters. They looked like a lobster but genetically and physiologically
they are quite different. They are much smaller than common lobsters.
Are the Squat Lobsters edible?
Yes, like the true lobsters Squat Lobsters
can be eaten without any problem. Their meat is known as langostino. It also
tastes like a lobster.
Do all they all look alike?
Actually, there are more than 900 species
of Squat Lobsters in our oceans and seas. So, one can understand the immense
diversity of shape, size and color among them.
Are all the species of Squat Lobsters
documented?
No, our oceans are vast and most of its
deepest areas are yet to be explored. It is estimated that about 120 species of
Squat Crabs are yet to be fully documented or classified. It is very possible
that many more new species of the animal will be discovered soon.
What do they eat?
All the species do not have same food
habits. Some are algae eaters while some prefers to feed on zoo plankton. Some
of the Squat Lobsters are predators. There is also a wood eating species. The
Yeti crabs can eat methane and sulfur.
