What the hell is this?

This shot was taken at Pt Lonsdale, Victoria, Australia while searching for small intertidal nudi's. It made me look twice, it looked back at me, and i think we both thought WTF

It was about 10mm long.

Anyone got any clues as to what this is?

Hi Peter --

Awwww, it's cute! It's an isopod. Family Arcturidae. A bit more information on your local ones here: http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Arcturidae Dr. Gary Poore at Museum Victoria (I think) or George Wilson (Australian Museum) are lthe isopod authorities for your part of the world.

Never seen anything like it! It is extremely cool.

/Bent C

Ha ha, yes, I've had a few of these fellows in samples from sediment collected in the Arabian Gulf. Very cool, I've never seen one in situ before though. I also had no idea what mine were till I sent them to Gary Poore in Aus- Arcturidae as Leslie said, but I'm sure yours is a different species to the ones I found. You must have sharp eyes.

I contacted Rachael King who had done her PHD on Parastacilla truculenta, and she believes its either this species(Parastacilla truculenta) or a new species. She couldn't tell for sure from the picture.

The pink colouration is apparently from nutrient pigments from its recent lunch.

I think this takes number 1 position from my previous leader in the wierdness stakes, the skeleton shrimp:

Big points from me for weird. Very cool.

Cheers,

Marli