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Crinoid/Elegant Squat Lobster
Allogalathea elegans
10.002, 123.395
Field Notes
Description:
The cephalothorax of Allogalathea elegans is droplet-shaped. The extremity of the body corresponds to the triangular rostrum of the animal, which are positioned on each side the pedunculated eyes. The chelipeds or the first pair of legs are endowed with pincers and are longer than the animal body. The last pair of legs are wasted. The body and mainly the legs are covered with small hairs. The animal's size depends on the sex. Females are usually bigger than males but never grow over 2 cm. The animal's coloration is variable and is matching the colours of its host but not systematically. It can be uniform and varied from dark red, blackish purple, orange or brown. But generally, the observed animals have longitudinal stripes which the thickness, the number and the tint varies
Habitat:
Allogalathea elegans lives in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area, Red Sea included.
Allogalathea elegans is a commensal species living in association with crinoids in which it gets protection and an ideal support for its feeding. However, the animal can live outside its host, but on the other hand its life expectancy will be shorter because it will not be any more shielded from the predators
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