Great Slipper Lobster

Your lamp slowly rises toward the ceiling of a cavity. Between two reliefs, a brownish-red mass seems to be part of the rock: flattened body, rough carapace, two large paddle-like antennae. The great slipper lobster has neither the powerful claws of the lobster nor the long spiny antennae of the spiny lobster.

Its defense relies partly on another strategy. When detected, it can grip firmly to the substrate, its short legs held beneath its broad carapace.

Experiments conducted specifically on Scyllarides latus show that this resistance and refuge constitute an effective defense against predators. During the day, the animal readily remains in caves and crevices; at night, its activity increases sharply.

But the most remarkable aspect occurs without the diver being able to see it. In the laboratory, great slipper lobsters maintained in constant darkness continued to follow an activity rhythm close to twenty-four hours: their behavior is influenced by a genuine internal circadian clock.

And if clinging is no longer sufficient, this apparently heavy mass possesses one final option: a powerful flexion of the abdomen can propel it rapidly backward. In the beam, the piece of rock suddenly comes alive, then disappears into the shadow.