Nephropsis stewarti
The deep-sea clawed lobster has a pair of thick strong chelipeds, covered in short fine hairs. It lives in the deep sea, where the sense of sight is almost useless. So, its eyes have degenerated, becoming very small (but have not completely disappeared). Moreover, they have no pigment (when inactive) and their well-developed antennules indicate that they rely on their senses of smell and taste. In general, the hairs on the chelipeds possess chemical and tactile receptors. The dense fine hairs on the chelipeds are still a mystery in terms of physiology and behavior. Mitten crabs, which live on land or in fresh water, have similar hairs (and are also known as hairy crabs). If these dense hairs have receptors, they would be like the palms of our hands (such as the mitten crab) or entire arms (such as the deep-sea clawed lobster), becoming two sets of highly sensitive sensory and motor organs. An interesting question is how this morphological characteristic contributes to the survival and adaption of these animals.
