Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing slipper lobsters. Though they share the same name, slipper lobsters are not considered “true” lobsters. Like rock lobsters (or spiny lobsters), slipper lobsters do not have claws! They get their common name because they, supposedly, look like a slipper. What do you all think? Slipper lobsters are also known as shovelnose lobsters. They get this name from the shape of their heads. The front, or shovel-like, part of their head is actually a second set of antennae! They have long, spindly antennae like true lobsters, but this second set is enlarged and flattened giving them a unique appearance that’s specific to them! Slipper lobster use their antennae to sense their surrounding environment.

These arthropods live anywhere from shallow marine waters to over a thousand feet below the waves. As adults, they’re benthic creatures meaning they spend most of their time at the bottom of the ocean along the seafloor. They may burrow in substrate or hide in crevices during the day. At night, they emerge to eat. An adult slipper lobster’s diet consists of mollusks like oysters or sea snails as well as echinoderms and cnidarians like sea anemones. As larvae, they eat zooplankton. What’s fascinating about their larval diet is they eat gelatinous zooplankton - sort of like adult jellyfish - that have stinging cells. These may then be incorporated by the slipper lobster larvae to make them toxic! Another cool part about their larval stage includes observations of them actually riding these zooplankton to conserve energy as they travel through the ocean!

Slipper lobster larvae are pelagic meaning they live in the ocean’s water column. They may experience vertical migration like we discussed in our nautilus episode. As they get larger, they’re more likely to start settling on the seafloor. Adult slipper lobsters may be anywhere from an inch to twenty inches long depending on the species. Around the world, there are somewhere around 90 described, living slipper lobster species. They’re most abundant in tropical regions but can be found in all warm seas.

Slipper lobsters don’t have claws or any other appendages to defend themselves from predators. They use camouflage and nocturnal activities to keep themselves hidden from watchful eyes. They prefer natural shelters with more than one entrance through which they can escape if attacked. Slipper lobsters are able to swim backwards using their strong tail. When they are taken, their predators include fish like triggerfish and wrasse as well as octopods. Humans also eat slipper lobster, though they aren’t currently considered as economically important as their “true” lobster relatives.

Like other lobsters, slipper lobsters are slow growing and long lived. Females may carry ten to hundreds of thousands of fertilized eggs around on their underside for weeks at a time. The process from egg to adult may take a few months to eight years depending on the species, and there isn’t much information on how long they can live.

For more facts on slipper lobsters, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you to these viewers for today’s request! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!