June 23, 2021: Squat Lobster
Image courtesy of NOAA Southeast Deep Coral Initiative and Pelagic Research Services. Download larger version (jpg, 1.0 MB).
Squat lobsters are commonly seen in the deep sea, and their characteristic claws-up pose is often a welcome sight for researchers searching for coral communities. Some species are found all across the seafloor, others on soft sandy sediment, some near or on deep-sea corals, and others prefer nooks and crannies carved out of ledges or walls. They are the photo-bombers of the deep!
This squat lobster (Eumunida picta) was imaged during the Southeast Deep Coral Initiative: Exploring Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems off the Southeast U.S. expedition hanging out under a carbonate ledge at 450 meters (1,476 feet) depth on Long Mound of the West Florida shelf.
From: You Don’t Know “Squat” ... Lobster, So Let Me Introduce You.