Ibacus alticrenatus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ibacus alticrenatus |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Scyllaridae
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Ibacus
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I. alticrenatus
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| Ibacus alticrenatus Spence Bate, 1888
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Ibacus alticrenatus is a type of slipper lobster. It lives in the ocean waters near Australia and New Zealand. These lobsters are known for their flat, shovel-like antennae.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Ibacus alticrenatus is one of the smaller kinds of Ibacus slipper lobsters. Male lobsters can grow up to 55 mm long in their main body shell (carapace). Females are a bit bigger, reaching up to 65 mm. The total length of the lobster can be about 16 cm. They usually have 8 teeth along each side of their shell, but sometimes 7 or 9.
Where Does This Lobster Live?
Around Australia, you can find I. alticrenatus from the North West Cape in Western Australia. They live all along the southern coast of Australia. You can also find them up to 20° south in northern Queensland. While another slipper lobster, I. brucei, lives near the Kermadec Islands and the West Norfolk Ridge, I. alticrenatus is the only slipper lobster found around the main islands of New Zealand.
Life Cycle of the Slipper Lobster
Female Ibacus alticrenatus lobsters can start having babies when their carapace (shell) is about 39 mm long. They can lay between 1,700 and 14,800 eggs. These eggs are small, about 0.94 to 1.29 mm across.
The female carries the eggs on her pleopods (small leg-like parts under her tail) for 3 to 4 months. The eggs hatch from April to October, with most hatching in July. The baby lobsters are called larvae. They go through seven flat stages called "phyllosoma" stages. This takes 4 to 6 months. During this time, they grow from about 2.5 mm to 40 mm.
After these stages, the larvae shed their skin (moult) and change into a "juvenile" form. This stage is called "puerulus" or "nisto." It looks much more like an adult lobster. There is one more "post-puerulus" stage before the lobster becomes a full adult.
Naming and Discovery
Ibacus alticrenatus was first described by Charles Spence Bate in 1888. This means he was the first scientist to officially name and describe the species. The first place where this lobster was found and studied was during the Challenger expedition. This was at a depth of about 150 fathoms (about 274 meters) at 39°32'S, 171°48'E. Four original samples of this lobster are kept at the Natural History Museum, London.
This lobster has a few common names. In Australia, people call it "deep water bug" or "sandy bug." In New Zealand, it's sometimes called "prawn killer." The Food and Agriculture Organization prefers the name "velvet fan lobster."
Where It Lives and How It's Protected
Ibacus alticrenatus lives in the ocean at depths from 20 to 455 meters. They prefer soft, muddy bottoms. This allows them to bury themselves in the mud for safety.
In New Zealand, the most I. alticrenatus caught in one fishing season was 49.12 tonnes in 1992–1993. To help protect the species, I. alticrenatus was added to New Zealand's Quota Management System on October 1, 2007. This system sets a limit on how many lobsters can be caught. The total allowable catch was set to 37.4 tonnes. Most of these lobsters are caught north of North Island.
Because Ibacus alticrenatus lives in a very wide area, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This means that scientists believe it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
