Divers have discovered a new crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster and is covered with what looks like silky, blonde fur, French researchers said Tuesday.

Scientists said the animal, which they named Kiwa hirsuta, was so distinct from other species that they created a new genus and new family for it.

A team of American-led divers found the animal in waters 7,540 feet deep at a site 900 miles south of Easter Island last year, according to Michel Segonzac of the French Institute for Sea Exploration, or IFREMER.

Read more... (AP)

My first thought was, 'I wonder if they are as tasty as some other crustaceans I have tried.' I know, horrible, and was just kidding. We would not want to go commercialize a new species like that just study it.

Pretty cool find though, I wonder how the fury claws come into play, what function do they serve. Is it related to finding them in hydrothermal vents?
Any ideas?