The family Thaumastochelidae contains five known species of deep-sea lobsters, three in the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Thaumastocheles'', and two in the genus ''Thaumastochelopsis''. The fifth species was discovered in the ten–year
Census of Marine Life
The Census of Marine Life was a 10-year, US $650 million scientific initiative, involving a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations, engaged to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans. Th ...
. These creatures are distinguished from other clawed lobsters by their
blindness
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
(an adaptation to deep-sea life), and by their single elongated, spiny
chela
Chela may refer to:
* ''Chela'' (fish), a genus of small minnow-type fish in the Cyprinid family
* Chela (organ), a pincer-like organ terminating certain limbs of some arthropods such as crabs
* Chela (meteorite), a meteorite fall of 1988 in Tanz ...
.
The family Thaumastochelidae is now more usually subsumed into the lobster family
Nephropidae
Lobsters are a family (Nephropidae, synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, including the first pair, ...
.
The five species are as follows:
*''Thaumastocheles''
**''Thaumastocheles dochmiodon'' Chan & de Saint Laurent, 1999 is found in the
Timor Sea
The Timor Sea ( id, Laut Timor, pt, Mar de Timor, tet, Tasi Mane or ) is a relatively shallow sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, and to the south by Australia.
The sea contains a number of reefs ...
.
**''Thaumastocheles japonicus'' Calman, 1913, the "Pacific pincer lobster", is endemic to the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, i ...
.
**''Thaumastocheles zaleucus'' Thomson, 1873, the "Atlantic pincer lobster" or "Atlantic deep-sea lobster", is endemic to the
Caribbean region
The Caribbean region of Colombia or Caribbean coast region is in the north of Colombia and is mainly composed of 8 departments located contiguous to the Caribbean.Coral Sea.
**''Thaumastochelopsis wardi'' Bruce, 1988, the "Australian pincer lobster", lives in the Coral Sea.