Bottom-trawl data collected by the RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen off Mozambique (in 1990, 2007 and 2018) and off eastern South Africa (in 2018) were analysed to investigate the distribution, abundance and size composition of the smooth fan lobster Ibacus novemdentatus

The complete larval development of a slipper lobster, Ibacus novemdentatus, from newly hatched phyllosomas to juveniles fed only jellyfish, was successfully achieved. Most larvae passed through 6 phyllosomal and 1 nisto stages. The phyllosomal duration

The complete larval development of a slipper lobster, Ibacus novemdentatus, from newly hatched phyllosomas to juveniles fed only jellyfish, was successfully achieved. Most larvae passed through 6 phyllosomal and 1 nisto stages. The phyllosomal duration

The phyllosoma, a larva of spiny and slipper lobsters, has an exceptionally flat body and long appendages. It is known to associate with several species of cnidarian jellyfish, a behavior that is not rare in crustaceans. Indeed, phyllosomas clinging onto

Phyllosomas of scyllarid lobsters are known to associate with jellyfish in the wild, suggesting that they prey on a wide variety of gelatinous zooplankton species. To investigate the potential of utilizing jellyfish as a diet for Ibacus ciliatus phyllosomas