Laurentaeglyphea

Lore & Background

Laurentaeglyphea is known from a single adult female specimen collected on Banc Capel, a guyot in the Coral Sea between Australia and New Caledonia. The animal has a carapace 26.6 × 9 mm in size and is whitish with red patches, especially on the abdomen and distal segments of the first pereiopods, with fainter markings on the carapace. It possesses large reniform (kidney-shaped) eyes, more developed in the lower half than the upper, and five pairs of pereiopods without true chelae. The epistome is large but considerably shorter than that of Neoglyphea.

The specimen was collected at depths of 367–536 m on a guyot with steep sides and a flat top, swept by strong currents. The substrate consists of rocks or gravel scree, dominated by sponges and gorgonians. Other decapods found in the same trawls include the slipper lobster Ibacus brucei, the crab Randallia, and swimming crabs.

Based on its large eyes, Laurentaeglyphea is thought to be an active predator, possibly with hunting behavior similar to that of stomatopods. The presence of patterned pigmentation at around 400 m depth suggests it does not live in a burrow, and its eyes are thought to be adapted to color vision, biased toward shorter wavelengths (blues and greens). The collected specimen was observed to be very active and aggressive, using its semichelate first pereiopods to attack.

Reader's Guide

Laurentaeglyphea holds significance as one of only two living genera of glypheoid lobsters, a group otherwise known from fossils and considered 'living fossils'. Its discovery expanded understanding of the diversity and ecology of modern glypheids. The genus was erected to separate the species from Neoglyphea inopinata, its nearest living relative, based on morphological differences such as the shorter epistome. The ecology of Laurentaeglyphea is very different from that of Neoglyphea inopinata, as it inhabits a current-swept guyot with rocky substrate rather than sandy or muddy bottoms. Its large eyes and aggressive behavior suggest an active predatory lifestyle, contrasting with the presumed habits of its relative. The presence of color vision at depths around 400 m in the clear waters of the Coral Sea indicates adaptation to a well-lit environment where a wide range of colors are represented among the fauna. The genus name commemorates Michèle de Saint Laurent, who discovered and co-described the first Recent specimen of the infraorder Glypheidea.

Did You Know?

• It has large reniform eyes thought to be adapted for color vision biased toward blues and greens.
• Its nearest living relative is Neoglyphea inopinata.