Posted on 03/07/2006 4:35:43 PM PST by wjersey
PARIS
Divers have discovered a new crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster and is covered with what looks like silky, blonde fur, French researchers said Tuesday.
Scientists said the animal, which they named Kiwa hirsuta, was so distinct from other species that they created a new genus and new family for it.
A team of American-led divers found the animal in waters 7,540 feet deep at a site 900 miles south of Easter Island last year, according to Michel Segonzac of the French Institute for Sea Exploration, or IFREMER.
The new crustacean is described in the journal of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. The animal is white and 5.9 inches long, about the size of a salad plate.
In what Segonzac described as a "surprising characteristic," the animal's pincers are covered with sinuous, hair-like strands. The diving expedition was organized by Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California.
A hairy crustacean...so, it is a MAMMAL?
Part artichoke.
It's official name is the ursushillarypantalones crab....
Corrected headline: Americans find new crustacean. The french were just along for the ride.
Ugliest new crustacean ever.
Strange.
So much of the world remains undiscovered . . .
Oh here and I thought Hillary bought a new pantsuit.
Good news!
They found your Drivers License!
They've caught Paris Hilton.
That's pretty icky.
Yeah, too much resemblance to a big hairy house spider or tarantula.
It makes me reflect that history is full of either very brave or very desperately hungry people. Just think of the first people who ate crabs, lobsters, artichokes etc.
Neither do oysters, until you get to know them.
Back in the early 70's I had an XO who was up in years and we all considered him the 'sage' of the seas. He always professed that the oceans and everything in them are a gift from God and that there are very few things that live in saltwater that aren't edible for humans.
I've noticed that some of the ugliest fish and crustaceans are among the best eating.
I'm already thinking about the "hairy lobster" in the picture and which parts would be the best to eat. I'd boil him in some 'crab boil' (it's a spice combination for you inland types) and disassemble him into bites that can be dipped in drawn butter.
I wonder how long it'll be before Emeril comes out with a recipe for these.
7500 feet deep - you'll need a LOT of line on that lobster pot.
"The diving expedition was organized by Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California."
"Corrected headline: Americans find new crustacean. The french were just along for the ride."
Re-corrected headline: "Dutchman gets American financing and French transport for South Pacific scuba vacation." The hairy lobster is the $24 in trinkets given in exchange for a $2.4 million cruise.
The Dutch are the most cunning people in the world.
18 posts and no Helen Thomas? C'mon people!!
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