What Is a Squat Lobster

In their book The Biology of Squat Lobsters, Poor, et. al. say that despite the fact that many have not heard of them,  squat lobsters are far from hidden. They say they are dominant, numerous and highly visible crustaceans on seamounts, continental margins, many shelf environments and coral reefs at all depths, and at hydrothermal vents. These often colorful animals  are also featured in many underwater photos and video. Squat Lobster Species There are over 900 species of squat lobsters, and it is thought that there are  many more yet to be discovered. One of the most famous squat lobsters in recent times is the yeti crab, which was discovered during surveys conducted in conjunction with the Census of Marine Life.   Identification Squat lobsters are small, often colorful animals. They can be less than one inch to about 4 inches  in length, depending upon the species.  Squat lobsters have 10 legs. The first pair of legs are  very long and contain  claws.   The three pairs of legs after that are used for walking. The fifth pair has small claws and may be used for cleaning gills. This fifth pair of legs is much smaller than the legs in true crabs.    Squat lobsters have a short abdomen that is  folded under their body.  Unlike lobsters and crayfish, squat lobsters dont have true uropods (the appendages that form the tail fan).   Lobster Cocktail? Squat lobsters are in the  infraorder  Anomura - many of the animals in this  infraorder  are called crabs, but they are not true crabs. They arent lobsters, either. In fact, squat lobsters are more closely related to hermit crabs than to lobsters (e.g., the American lobster). In the seafood world, they may be marketed as  langostino  lobsters (langostino  is Spanish for prawn) and even sold as shrimp cocktail. Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Subclass: Eumalacostraca Order: Decapoda Infraorder: Anomura Families: Chirostylidae and Galatheidae Habitat and Distribution Squat lobsters live in oceans around the world, with the exception of the coldest Arctic and Antarctic waters.   They can be found on sandy bottoms and hidden in rocks and crevices. They also may be found in the deep sea around seamounts, hydrothermal vents  and in underwater canyons. Feeding Depending on the species, squat lobsters may eat plankton, detritus or dead animals.   Some feed on bacteria at hydrothermal vents. Some (e.g.,  Munidopsis  andamanica) are even specialized to eat wood from sunken trees and shipwrecks.   Reproduction The reproductive habits of squat lobsters are not well known. Like other crustaceans, they lay eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae that eventually develop into juvenile, and then adult, squat lobsters.   Conservation and Human Uses Squat lobsters are relatively small, so fisheries around them have not developed in many areas. However, as mentioned above, they may be harvested and sold as cocktail shrimp or in lobster dishes, and can be  used as feed stock for chickens and at fish farms. References and Further Information Aquarium of the Pacific. Squat Lobster. Accessed April 29, 2014.Bok, M. 2010. Wood-eating Squat Lobsters of the Deep. Arthropoda Blog. Accessed April 29, 2014.Kilgour, M. 2008. Squat Lobsters: More Questions Than Answers. NOAA Ocean Explorer. Accessed May 5, 2014.  McLaughlin, P., S. Ahyong J.K. Lowry (2002 onwards). Anomura: Families. Version: 2 October 2002. http://crustacea.net.Poor, G., Ahyong, S. and J. Taylor. 2011. The Biology of Squat Lobsters. Accessed online via Google Books, April 29, 2014.Schmidt, C. 2007. No Matter What You Call It, Squat Isnt Lobster. Wild Catch Magazine. Accessed April 29, 2014.WoRMS. 2014. Anomura. Accessed through World Register of Marine Species, May 5, 2014.