Slipper lobster
Encyclopedia
Slipper lobsters are a family
of decapod
crustacean
s found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobster
s, but are more closely related to spiny lobster
s and furry lobster
s. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae
, which project forward from the head as wide plates. All the species are edible, and some, such as the Moreton Bay bug
and the "Balmain bug" (Ibacus peronii) are of commercial importance.
, which are collectively covered in a thick carapace
. The six segments of the abdomen
each bear a pair of pleopods, while the thoracic appendage
s are either walking legs or maxillipeds. The head segments bear various mouthparts and two pairs of antennae
. The first antennae, or antennules, are held on a long flexible stalk, and are used for sensing the environment. The second antennae are the slipper lobsters' most conspicuous feature, as they are expanded and flattened into large plates that extend horizontally forward from the animal's head.
There is considerable variation in size among species of slipper lobsters. The Mediterranean
species Scyllarus pygmaeus
is the smallest, growing to a maximum total length of 55 millimetres (2.2 in), and rarely more than 40 mm (1.6 in). The largest species, Scyllarides haanii, may reach 50 centimetres (19.7 in) long.
, found at depths of up to 500 metres (1,640.4 ft). Slipper lobsters eat a variety of molluscs
, including limpet
s, mussel
s and oyster
s, as well as crustacean
s, polychaete
s and echinoderm
s. They grow slowly and live to a considerable age. They lack the giant neurones which allow other decapod crustaceans to perform tailflips, and must rely on other means to escape predator attack, such as burial in a substrate and reliance on the heavily armour
ed exoskeleton
.
The most significant predators of slipper lobsters are bony fish, with the grey triggerfish
being the most significant predator of Scyllarides latus
in the Mediterranean Sea
.
, young slipper lobsters pass through around ten instar
s as phyllosoma
larva
e — leaf-life, plankton
ic zoeae. These ten or so stages last the greater part of a year, after which the larva moults
into a "nisto" stage that lasts a few weeks. Almost nothing is known about the transition from this stage to the adults, which continue to grow through a series of moults.
s or true lobsters
. The methods used for catching slipper lobsters varies depending on the species' ecology. Those that prefer soft substrates
, such as Thenus and Ibacus
, are often caught by trawling
, while those that prefer crevices, caves and reef
s (including Scyllarides
, Arctides
and Parribacus
species) are usually caught by SCUBA divers
.
The global catch of slipper lobsters was reported in 1991 to be 2100 tonnes (2,066.8 LT). More recently, annual production has been around 5000 tonnes (4,921 LT), the majority of which is production of Thenus orientalis
in Asia
.
s have been applied to the family Scyllaridae. The most common of these is "slipper lobster", followed by "shovel-nosed lobster" and "locust lobster". "Spanish lobster" is used for members of the genus Arctides
, "mitten lobster" for Parribacus
, and "fan lobster" for Evibacus and Ibacus
. In Australia, a number of species are called "bugs" (for example, the Balmain bug and Moreton Bay bug
), especially those in the genus Ibacus
. Other names used in Australia include "bay lobster", "blind lobster", "flapjack", "flat lobster", "flying saucer", "gulf lobster", "mudbug", "sandbug", "shovel-nose bug", "shovelnose lobster", "slipper bug" and "squagga". Rarer terms include "flathead lobster" (for Thenus orientalis
) and "bulldozer lobster".
for species formerly classified under Scyllarus
:
Scyllarinae Latreille, 1825
Arctidinae Holthuis, 1985
Ibacinae Holthuis, 1985
Theninae Holthuis, 1985
incertae sedis
s. One significant earlier fossil is Cancrinos claviger, which was described from Upper Jurassic sediments at least , and may represent either an ancestor
of modern slipper lobsters, or the sister group to the family Scyllaridae sensu stricto.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of decapod
Decapoda
The decapods or Decapoda are an order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such as crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. It is estimated that the order contains nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera, with...
crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
s, but are more closely related to spiny lobster
Spiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters, are a family of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia...
s and furry lobster
Furry lobster
Furry lobsters are small decapod crustaceans, closely related to the slipper lobsters and spiny lobsters. The antennae are not as enlarged as in spiny and slipper lobsters, and the body is covered in short hairs, hence the name furry lobster...
s. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
, which project forward from the head as wide plates. All the species are edible, and some, such as the Moreton Bay bug
Moreton Bay bug
Thenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster...
and the "Balmain bug" (Ibacus peronii) are of commercial importance.
Description
Slipper lobsters have six segments in their heads and eight segments in the thoraxThorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
, which are collectively covered in a thick carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
. The six segments of the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
each bear a pair of pleopods, while the thoracic appendage
Appendage
In invertebrate biology, an appendage is an external body part, or natural prolongation, that protrudes from an organism's body . It is a general term that covers any of the homologous body parts that may extend from a body segment...
s are either walking legs or maxillipeds. The head segments bear various mouthparts and two pairs of antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
. The first antennae, or antennules, are held on a long flexible stalk, and are used for sensing the environment. The second antennae are the slipper lobsters' most conspicuous feature, as they are expanded and flattened into large plates that extend horizontally forward from the animal's head.
There is considerable variation in size among species of slipper lobsters. The Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
species Scyllarus pygmaeus
Scyllarus pygmaeus
Scyllarus pygmaeus is a species of slipper lobster that lives in shallow water in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean. It grows to a length of , which is too small for it to be fished for. The juvenile form was first described in 1885, with the description of the adult following in...
is the smallest, growing to a maximum total length of 55 millimetres (2.2 in), and rarely more than 40 mm (1.6 in). The largest species, Scyllarides haanii, may reach 50 centimetres (19.7 in) long.
Ecology
Slipper lobsters are typically bottom dwellers of the continental shelvesContinental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
, found at depths of up to 500 metres (1,640.4 ft). Slipper lobsters eat a variety of molluscs
Mollusca
The Mollusca , common name molluscs or mollusksSpelled mollusks in the USA, see reasons given in Rosenberg's ; for the spelling mollusc see the reasons given by , is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. Mollusca is the largest...
, including limpet
Limpet
Limpet is a common name for a number of different kinds of saltwater and freshwater snails ; it is applied to those snails that have a simple shell which is more or less conical in shape, and either is not spirally coiled, or appears not to be coiled in the adult snails.The name limpet is most...
s, mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s and oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, as well as crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, polychaete
Polychaete
The Polychaeta or polychaetes are a class of annelid worms, generally marine. Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made of chitin. Indeed, polychaetes are sometimes referred to as bristle worms. More than 10,000...
s and echinoderm
Echinoderm
Echinoderms are a phylum of marine animals. Echinoderms are found at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone....
s. They grow slowly and live to a considerable age. They lack the giant neurones which allow other decapod crustaceans to perform tailflips, and must rely on other means to escape predator attack, such as burial in a substrate and reliance on the heavily armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
ed exoskeleton
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. In popular usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells". Examples of exoskeleton animals include insects such as grasshoppers...
.
The most significant predators of slipper lobsters are bony fish, with the grey triggerfish
Grey triggerfish
The grey triggerfish , a.k.a. , is a triggerfish of the western Atlantic, found from Nova Scotia to Argentina.It is also reported from the Mediterranean sea and off Angola on the west coast of Africa...
being the most significant predator of Scyllarides latus
Scyllarides latus
Scyllarides latus, the Mediterranean slipper lobster, is a species of slipper lobster found in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is edible and highly regarded as food, but is now rare over much of its range due to overfishing. Adults may grow to long, are camouflaged, and...
in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
Life cycle
After hatching out of their eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
, young slipper lobsters pass through around ten instar
Instar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
s as phyllosoma
Phyllosoma
The phyllosoma is the larval stage of spiny, slipper and coral lobsters , and represents one of the most significant characteristics that unify them into the taxon Achelata...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e — leaf-life, plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic zoeae. These ten or so stages last the greater part of a year, after which the larva moults
Ecdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
into a "nisto" stage that lasts a few weeks. Almost nothing is known about the transition from this stage to the adults, which continue to grow through a series of moults.
Commercial importance
Although they are fished for wherever they are found, slipper lobsters have not been the subject of such intense fishery as spiny lobsterSpiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters, are a family of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia...
s or true lobsters
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
. The methods used for catching slipper lobsters varies depending on the species' ecology. Those that prefer soft substrates
Substrate (biology)
In biology a substrate is the surface a plant or animal lives upon and grows on. A substrate can include biotic or abiotic materials and animals. For example, encrusting algae that lives on a rock can be substrate for another animal that lives on top of the algae. See also substrate .-External...
, such as Thenus and Ibacus
Ibacus
Ibacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, including commercially important species such as the Balmain bug, Ibacus peronii ....
, are often caught by trawling
Trawling
Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net that is used for trawling is called a trawl....
, while those that prefer crevices, caves and reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s (including Scyllarides
Scyllarides
Scyllarides is a genus of slipper lobsters.-Characteristics:Scyllarides is placed in the subfamily Arctidinae, which is differentiated from other subfamilies by the presence of multiarticulated exopods on all three maxillipeds, and a three-segmented palp on the mandible...
, Arctides
Arctides
Arctides is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing three species. The largest of these, A. antipodarum, has a carapace up to long, and is found off south-eastern Australia and parts of New Zealand. The other two species are smaller, at up to carapace length; A. guineensis is found in an area...
and Parribacus
Parribacus
Parribacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing six species, all of which are used locally as human food sources....
species) are usually caught by SCUBA divers
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
.
The global catch of slipper lobsters was reported in 1991 to be 2100 tonnes (2,066.8 LT). More recently, annual production has been around 5000 tonnes (4,921 LT), the majority of which is production of Thenus orientalis
Moreton Bay bug
Thenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster...
in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Common names
A number of common nameCommon name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s have been applied to the family Scyllaridae. The most common of these is "slipper lobster", followed by "shovel-nosed lobster" and "locust lobster". "Spanish lobster" is used for members of the genus Arctides
Arctides
Arctides is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing three species. The largest of these, A. antipodarum, has a carapace up to long, and is found off south-eastern Australia and parts of New Zealand. The other two species are smaller, at up to carapace length; A. guineensis is found in an area...
, "mitten lobster" for Parribacus
Parribacus
Parribacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing six species, all of which are used locally as human food sources....
, and "fan lobster" for Evibacus and Ibacus
Ibacus
Ibacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, including commercially important species such as the Balmain bug, Ibacus peronii ....
. In Australia, a number of species are called "bugs" (for example, the Balmain bug and Moreton Bay bug
Moreton Bay bug
Thenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster...
), especially those in the genus Ibacus
Ibacus
Ibacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, including commercially important species such as the Balmain bug, Ibacus peronii ....
. Other names used in Australia include "bay lobster", "blind lobster", "flapjack", "flat lobster", "flying saucer", "gulf lobster", "mudbug", "sandbug", "shovel-nose bug", "shovelnose lobster", "slipper bug" and "squagga". Rarer terms include "flathead lobster" (for Thenus orientalis
Moreton Bay bug
Thenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster...
) and "bulldozer lobster".
Classification
Twenty-two genera are recognised, the majority of which were erected in 2002 by Lipke HolthuisLipke Holthuis
Lipke Bijdeley Holthuis was a Dutch carcinologist, considered one of the "undisputed greats" of carcinology, and "the greatest carcinologist of our time"....
for species formerly classified under Scyllarus
Scyllarus
Scyllarus is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing the following species:*Scyllarus americanus *Scyllarus arctus *Scyllarus caparti Holthuis, 1952*Scyllarus chacei Holthuis, 1960...
:
Scyllarinae Latreille, 1825
- Acantharctus Holthuis, 2002
- Antarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Antipodarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Bathyarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Biarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Chelarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Crenarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Eduarctus Holthuis, 2002
- GalearctusGalearctusGalearctus is a genus of slipper lobsters, comprising the following species:*Galearctus aurora *Galearctus avulsus Yang, Chen & Chan, 2011*Galearctus kitanoviriosus *Galearctus rapanus...
Holthuis, 2002 - Gibbularctus Holthuis, 2002
- Petrarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Remiarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Scammarctus Holthuis, 2002
- Scyllarella Rathbun, 1935 (extinct)
- ScyllarusScyllarusScyllarus is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing the following species:*Scyllarus americanus *Scyllarus arctus *Scyllarus caparti Holthuis, 1952*Scyllarus chacei Holthuis, 1960...
Fabricius, 1775
Arctidinae Holthuis, 1985
- ArctidesArctidesArctides is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing three species. The largest of these, A. antipodarum, has a carapace up to long, and is found off south-eastern Australia and parts of New Zealand. The other two species are smaller, at up to carapace length; A. guineensis is found in an area...
Holthuis, 1960 - ScyllaridesScyllaridesScyllarides is a genus of slipper lobsters.-Characteristics:Scyllarides is placed in the subfamily Arctidinae, which is differentiated from other subfamilies by the presence of multiarticulated exopods on all three maxillipeds, and a three-segmented palp on the mandible...
Gill, 1898
Ibacinae Holthuis, 1985
- Evibacus S. I. Smith, 1869
- IbacusIbacusIbacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, including commercially important species such as the Balmain bug, Ibacus peronii ....
Leach, 1815 - ParribacusParribacusParribacus is a genus of slipper lobsters, containing six species, all of which are used locally as human food sources....
Dana, 1852
Theninae Holthuis, 1985
- ThenusMoreton Bay bugThenus orientalis is a species of slipper lobster from the Indian and Pacific oceans.T. orientalis is known by a number of common names. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name flathead lobster, while the official Australian name is Bay lobster...
Leach, 1815
incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
- PalibacusPalibacusPalibacus praecursor is a fossil species of slipper lobster, the only species in the genus Palibacus. It was found in Cenomanian deposits at Hakel, Lebanon and described in 1886 by the German palaeontologist W. Dames. Its similarity to modern slipper lobsters demonstrates that the main features of...
Förster, 1984 (extinct)
Fossil record
The fossil record of slipper lobsters extends back 100–120 million years, which is considerably less than that of slipper lobsters' closest relatives, the spiny lobsterSpiny lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters, are a family of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia...
s. One significant earlier fossil is Cancrinos claviger, which was described from Upper Jurassic sediments at least , and may represent either an ancestor
Ancestor
An ancestor is a parent or the parent of an ancestor ....
of modern slipper lobsters, or the sister group to the family Scyllaridae sensu stricto.