Description
Location: Hawaii
Story: A larval-stage slipper lobster riding atop a jellyfish. These larval lobsters are almost always found clinging to a gelatinous prisoner, and it’s theorized that they receive protection from the jelly’s stinging tentacles, as well as transportation up & down in the water column. The jelly on the other hand, isn’t overtly harmed by the lobster, but the jelly definitely has to deal with increased caloric expenditure from the extra drag.
Slipper lobsters are related to the more commonly-known spiny lobsters, but the 90 or so species of slippers belong to the separate family Scyllaridae. The the adults are easily distinguishable from other lobsters, but while in the larval stages this slipper is barely distinguishable by just a few key markers such as the shape of their telson and the protective exoskeleton over their eyes. The jellyfish is a Muave Stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) and for size reference, it’s bell diameter is ~2.5cm.
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