Galathea - Galatheidae
Galatheidae Samouelle, 1819 is a family of decapod crustaceans belonging to the superfamily Galatheoidea.
Distribution and habitat
They are exclusively marine, widespread in all oceans and generally benthic; they live both near the surface and in deep water.
Description
These crustaceans have a well-developed rostrum that extends beyond the eyes, and two symmetrical claws. The abdomen, similar to that of a lobster, is partially folded under the cephalothorax, [characteristic which gives these animals an intermediate appearance between achelates and crabs; however, the carcinization process is not as advanced as it is in other galateoids such as porcellanids, as the abdomen is in any case well developed and the cephalothorax is longer than wide. Galatheidae Galathea Black squat lobster intotheblue.it
They are generally small crustaceans, and the color is highly variable.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galatheidae
Galathea squamifera Leach, 1814 is a decapod crustacean belonging to the Galatheidae family widespread in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. It was the second species in the genus Galathea to be described.
Description
It is a small crustacean even for a galateid: the carapace rarely exceeds 3 cm in length, and the body, whose abdomen is partially folded under the cephalothorax, remains around 6.5. This, together with the rusty to greenish-brown coloration in adults, allows it to be easily distinguished from Galathea strigosa. The coloring of the juveniles has shades more tending towards red.
Like the other species of the genus Galathea, it has transverse crests of setae on the carapace, tuberculate chelipeds and a toothed rostrum with 4 teeth per side; distinctive features of this species are the presence of 4-5 spines on the mere (second article) of the third massillipede and two spines in the epigastric region (behind the rostrum), one on each side.
Biology
Feeding Detritivore.
Predators
It is often preyed upon by bony fishes such as Serranus atricauda and Scorpaena porcus.
Distribution and habitat
It has a large range, which includes the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea (up to Norway) and the eastern Atlantic Ocean up to the Azores. It is common in northern Europe and its type locality is the south coast of Devon.
It is a species that tends to hide in rocky ravines and lives mainly in areas rich in aquatic vegetation between 3 and 20 m of depth; the young specimens can go even up to 70.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galathea_squamifera
Galatheidae Galathea Black squat lobster intotheblue.it
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Galatheidae Galathea Black squat lobster intotheblue.it
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