Gandalfus puia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gandalfus puia |
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| A New Zealand blind vent crab, Gandalfus puia | |
| Conservation status | |
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Invalid status (NZ TCS)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gandalfus
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| Species: |
puia
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The Gandalfus puia is a special type of crab found only in New Zealand. It's part of a group called Bythograeidae, also known as "blind vent crabs." These crabs love to live near super hot hydrothermal vents deep in the ocean. Scientists first learned about this crab in 2007. They found it near underwater volcanoes close to the Kermadec Islands.
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About the Gandalfus puia Crab
Scientists have studied six Gandalfus puia crabs found in 2005. This helped them understand what these unique creatures look like.
What Does it Look Like?
This crab has a flat, oval-shaped carapace. This is the hard shell that covers its body. The shell is wider than it is long. Both male and female crabs have two different-sized claws, called chelipeds. The right claw is stronger and thicker. It's probably used for crushing things. The left claw is thinner and likely used for cutting food.
These crabs have tiny, almost useless eyes. They are called vestigial eyes. This means they are leftovers from ancestors that could see. Their eyestalks don't move, and their eyes have no color. This is normal for blind vent crabs. They live in the deep, dark ocean where light doesn't reach.
Adult crabs are usually pale yellow. Their legs and tiny hairs, called setae, are a darker brown. Because they live near mineral-rich hot vents, they often get covered in a rusty, reddish coating. This coating comes from iron minerals in the water.
Where Does it Live?
The Gandalfus puia crab was first found near underwater volcanoes. These volcanoes are close to the Kermadec Islands. This makes it the southernmost blind vent crab ever recorded. Scientists have found these crabs at different depths. Some were as shallow as 239 meters (about 784 feet). Others were as deep as 1,647 meters (about 5,403 feet). This is shallower than where most other blind vent crabs live.
How Did it Get its Name?
A scientist named Colin McLay gave this crab its name. The first part of its name, Gandalfus, comes from Gandalf. He is a famous wizard character from The Lord of the Rings books. These books were written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The movies based on these books were filmed in New Zealand.
The second part of its name, puia, comes from the Māori language. Māori is the language of the native people of New Zealand. In Māori, "puia" means "thermal spring" or "volcano." This name fits perfectly because the crab lives near hot underwater volcanoes!
