The family Thaumastochelidae contains five known species of deep-sea lobsters, three in the genus Thaumastocheles, and two in the genus Thaumastochelopsis. The fifth species was discovered in the tenâÂÂyear Census of Marine Life. These creatures are distinguished from other clawed lobsters by their blindness (an adaptation to deep-sea life), and by their single elongated, spiny chela.
The family Thaumastochelidae is now more usually subsumed into the lobster family Nephropidae.
Species
The five species are as follows:
- Thaumastocheles
- Thaumastocheles dochmiodon <small>Chan & de Saint Laurent, 1999</small> is found in the Timor Sea.
- Thaumastocheles japonicus <small>Calman, 1913</small>, the "Pacific pincer lobster", is endemic to the Sea of Japan.
- Thaumastocheles zaleucus <small>Thomson, 1873</small>, the "Atlantic pincer lobster" or "Atlantic deep-sea lobster", is endemic to the Caribbean region.
- Thaumastochelopsis
- Thaumastochelopsis brucei <small>Ahyong, Chu & Chan, 2007</small> lives in the Coral Sea.
- Thaumastochelopsis wardi <small>Bruce, 1988</small>, the "Australian pincer lobster", lives in the Coral Sea.
References