MCS Talk: My Life as a Crustacean

Wednesday 14th September at 19:30 at the Maritime Museum:

Galathea strigosa
Above: The squat lobster Galathea strigosa stares back at me from his crevice between rocks. Due to the optical properties of seawater the blue patterns on his face will stand out to other animals, but reds fade quickly over distance, and will appear grey – providing camouflage until you are very close! Photo: Barry Kaye.

How crustacea sense their environment, and how an understanding of thesir senses might give us insights into their life. Crustaceans have been adapting to life at sea for 500 million years, and possess a suite of sensory capabilities that are astounding in their sensitivity and complexity. Some can see in the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum, and detect plane and circularly polarised light, extending their perception of colour far beyond that of the most accomplished painter! They smell with their legs, and while they are covered in armour, their sense of touch is the most sensitive in the animal kingdom…

Talk by Barry Kaye (Lancashire MCS)

ALL WELCOME!

£4 donation to Lancashire MCS requested

Posted: September 4th, 2022
Posted in MCS talks