Thymopides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thymopides |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Family: | Nephropidae |
| Genus: | Thymopides Burukovsky & Averin, 1977 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Bellator Burukovsky & Averin, 1976 |
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Thymopides is a type of deep-sea lobster. There are two known kinds, or species, of Thymopides: Thymopides grobovi and Thymopides laurentae. These lobsters live in the very deep parts of the ocean.
Where These Lobsters Live
There are two main types of Thymopides lobsters, and they live in different parts of the deep ocean.
- Thymopides grobovi lives near Heard Island and the Kerguelen Archipelago. These places are in the southern Indian Ocean. They are found very deep, between 525–1,220 metres (1,722–4,003 ft) below the surface.
- Thymopides laurentae has only been found in one spot. This spot is a hydrothermal vent on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It lives even deeper, at about 3,480 m (11,420 ft) down (23°22.94′N 44°56.09′W / 23.38233°N 44.93483°W). Hydrothermal vents are like underwater hot springs.
What Makes Them Special?
Thymopides lobsters look different from other lobsters you might know, like Homarus (the common lobster).
- Most lobsters have one big "crusher" claw and one smaller "cutter" claw. But Thymopides lobsters have their first pair of walking legs (called pereiopods) that are about the same size and shape. They don't have one super-strong crushing claw.
- They also look different from other deep-sea lobsters like Metanephrops. Thymopides lobsters do not have a ridge (called a carina) behind their antenna spike.
- Their eyes are also smaller and do not have color. This is because they live in the deep ocean where there is no light.
How They Got Their Name
The scientists R. N. Burukovsky and B. S. Averin first described this type of lobster in 1976. They first called it Bellator. This name means "warrior" in Latin. They wrote about it in a science paper called the Russian Journal of Zoology.
Later, another scientist named Lipke Holthuis told them that there was already a type of fish called Bellator. So, the scientists had to pick a new name.
They chose the name Thymopides. This new name was picked because these lobsters look a lot like another type of lobster called Thymops. They wrote about the new name in a science journal called Crustaceana.
In 2003, scientists found and described the second species, T. laurentae. It was named to honor a scientist named Michèle de Saint Laurent.
 | Precious Adams |
 | Lauren Anderson |
 | Janet Collins |
