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Hairy Squat Lobster (Kiwa hirsuta)
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Description: Kiwa hirsuta is a crustacean discovered in March 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean. This decapod, which is approximately 15 cm (5.9 in) long, is notable for the quantity of silky blond setae (resembling fur) covering its pereiopods (thoracic legs, including claws). Kiwa hirsuta is a squat lobster, more closely related to crabs & hermit crabs than true lobsters. The animal has strongly reduced eyes that lack pigment & is thought to be blind. The hairy pincers contain filamentous bacteria, which the creature may use to detoxify poisonous minerals from the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents where it lives. Alternatively, it may feed on bacteria, although it is generally thought to be a carnivore. It was found along the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, 1,500 km (930 mi) south of Easter Island at a depth of 2,200m (7,200 ft), living on hydrothermal vents. Based on both morphology & molecular data, the organism was deemed to form a new biological family (Kiwaidae). the genus Kiwa is named after ''the goddess of shellfish'' in Polynesian mythology. Hirsuta means hairy in Latin.
Uploaded By: femcat38
Date: 11/15/2011
Views: 482
