ABSTRACT
Kiwa hirsuta A very strange new animal was discovered in 2005 living on hydrothermal vents 7200 feet deep along the PacicAntarctic Ridge 900 miles south of Easter Island. Kiwa hirsuta (Figure 1.1), a crustacean that is neither lobster nor crab is nevertheless dubbed “yeti lobster” or “yeti crab” for its resemblance to these animals. In fact, K. hirsuta constitutes not only a new species but a new genus and family (Kiwaidae) of which it is the sole member. Rarely do scientists nd new organisms of such striking peculiarity to warrant this kind of distinction. Given K. hirsuta’s strong morphological similarity to other lobster species, it seems surprising that it would require a new family for classication. One characteristic, however, is deemed so unusual as to thrust this creature through established hierarchies of biological order into its own unique taxonomic orbit: its hairiness. Unlike any other crustacean, K. hirsuta has a full coat of silky blonde hair covering its legs and claws. Resembling a fur coat, this material’s function is uncertain. It may be used to capture bacteria and other small organisms on which the animal feeds, or the bacteria may detoxify the poisonous minerals emitted from the hydrothermal vents. Or it may simply be a spontaneous, natural expression of material exuberance. Whatever the case, K. hirsuta is undeniably the most stylish crustacean currently crawling the ocean oor.
