Galathea squamifera

Galathea squamifera, the black squat lobster,[1] or Montagu's plated lobster,[2] is a species of squat lobster that lives in the north-east Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

Galathea squamifera
Scientific classification
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G. squamifera
Binomial name
Galathea squamifera
Leach, 1814 [1]

Description

Adults are up to 65 millimetres (2.6 in) long, with a carapace 32 mm (1.3 in) long; the body is chestnut brown with a green tinge, and the spines projecting from the carapace are red at the tips.[3] The rostrum is triangular in shape with four spines on either side.[4] The first pair of pereiopods are 1½ times as long as the body, and have well-developed claws.[4]

Distribution and ecology

G. squamifera is found from Norway to the Azores and in the Mediterranean Sea,[3] and is the most commonly found species of squat lobster on the shores of Northern Europe.[4] It lives between the low water mark and depths of about 70 metres (230 ft),[3] under stones and in rock fissures.[4]

G. squamifera is chiefly nocturnal,[5] and catches passing prey, such as small fish, with its claws. Species which feed on G. squamifera include the fishes Scorpaena porcus and Serranus atricauda.[6]

References

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