Discovered by Dr. James Thomas, Leucothoe eltoni is a tiny crustacean that predominantly lives off the coast of Indonesia. The tiny, shrimp-like creature lives harmlessly inside other reef invertebrates and has a greatly enlarged appendage known as a gnathopod. This odd physical characteristic reminded Dr. Thomas of John’s Pinball Wizard character in Tommy. A big fan, Thomas has listened to Elton John’s music in his lab during his entire scientific career and wanted to honor the famous musician by naming the species after him.
Discovered in the remote coral reefs of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, L. eltoni also lives in the Philippines and has recently invaded Hawaiian reefs. The species lives in commensal association (causing no harm, or benefit to its host) with tunicates and less commonly in bivalve mollusks, such as oysters, and sponges. The full research paper is available online on ZooKeys.
Elton John as the Pinball Wizard in Tommy:
