Squat Lobster With Eggs

This a photo of a type of squat lobster (Chirostylus ortmanni).

Chirostylus ortmanni with eggs
Chirostylus ortmanni on soft coral. D800, 105mm, Nauticam, S2000 (License image)

This animal, pictured here on its soft coral home, was probably about 5-7cm in size with all of its spindly appendages taken into account. Its carapace was less than 1cm in length. It was, in other words, small.

In the photo above, the animal is bringing one of its claws to its mouth with what might have been food. I'm not entirely sure if it actually ate the polyp-like thing it was holding, because at the time, everything was much too small to see.

The next photo is at greater magnification ("Enlarge. Enhance. Zoom," as they say on TV).

Here, with a bit of squinting, you can see that the squat lobster was carrying eggs.

Chirostylus ortmanni with eggs
Chirostylus ortmanni with eggs. D800, 105mm, Nauticam + SMC, S2000 (License image)

By application of keen mental faculties, I've deduced that this Chirostylus was a female.

Can't slip anything by me.