Above are two of the smallest members of this monogamous group, about the size of a paperclip. At the top, the female is shown with the egg mass, although the male, below, helps take care of the eggs as well. |
Sharing the job: monogamy and parental care
In most stomatopod groups, after mating with a male,
the female stomatopod lays eggs in her burrow. However, in lysiosquillids, one group
of spearers, the males and females are monogamous
(meaning they stay together and share a burrow). One of the goals
of the Aquarius mission was to study different species of monogamous
stomatopods.
Above are two of the
largest members of this group, about a foot (30 cm) long. The male
is at the top, and the female at the bottom. |