Lobsters are often referred to as the “dragons of the sea” due to their dragon-like appearance, making them a popular choice for Lunar New Year banquets. In Chinese culture, they are known as longxia or dragon shrimps, and consuming them is believed to bring good fortune, health, and power associated with the dragon, which is considered the most auspicious of the 12 zodiac animals.
Scientists have long struggled to farm lobsters, comparing the challenge to taming fire-breathing dragons of legend. However, marine biologist Kaori Wakabayashi is making progress in this more than 120-year pursuit by studying the unusual behavior of these “dragons of the sea.”
Wakabayashi’s research began with a chance discovery over a decade ago when a diver brought bizarre “jellyfish riders” to the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology laboratory. These creatures, later identified as phyllosomata, turned out to be the larval form of slipper and spiny lobsters. They drift along the current until they find prey.
Now an associate professor at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Wakabayashi’s work is bringing science closer to understanding and potentially farming lobsters.
2024-03-31 02:51:02
Link from phys.org
