SCUBA TravelSquat Lobster
Squat Lobster


Photo copyright Tim Nicholson.
Squat Lobster Galthea strigosa
Taken in Port Erin Bay, Isle of Man.

Hides in crevices, sometimes clinging upside down to the ceiling. You see it most commonly at night when it is out and about. It lives between 3 and 600 m. Galathea strigosa is an attractive red colour with bright blue lines.

Its claws are covered in brown hairy spines. The animal folds its tail under its body resulting in a crab-like appearance. When necessary the tail is used as a paddle for a quick get away.

The young of this species is a different colour, with a mottled white carapace.

Galathea strigosa lives from Scandinavia to Spain, Canaries, Mediterranean and Red Sea.

Further Reading
Great British Marine Animals, by Paul Naylor, Deltor (2011)
The Underwater Photographer: Digital and Traditional Techniques, by by Martin Edge, Paperback, 536 pages (2009)

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