Behold, The World’s Most Colorful Squat Lobster

by Owen James Burke

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Photo: © Moorea Biocode Project/Creative Commons.

There are well over 100 species of squat lobster, and while the genera Galathea, to which this specimen belongs, currently contains 70 species worldwide,Galathea pilosa is surely the most vivid.

G. pilosa is found exclusively in the shallows surrounding the islands of French Polynesia, nestling in reef and rock outcrops during the day and venturing out to feed at night.

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Photo: © Moorea Biocode Project/Creative Commons.

First described in 1887, science still knows precious little about this creature, who ranges in depths from 1-20 meters (about 3-65 feet) whose carapace only grows to about 1cm long.

Read more about squat lobsters at Smithsonian Science Mag. -OJB

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