Weird Critter Profile: Decorator Crabs
01/25/2010
Some animals have gift for fashion. Several species of crabs that go by the common names decorator crabs, dresser crabs or sponge crabs are particularly good at playing dress up. But unlike human fashionistas, the frocks these marine crustaceans don provide camouflage and sometimes, chemical defense against predators.
Sponge crabs, as their name suggests, collect living sponges and hold them on their backs with a specially adapted set of legs. They are expert tailors and will trim a sponge that is too large to fit on their backs down to just the right size. As they grow too large for their garb, sponge crabs will go shopping for a new sponge.
Dresser or decorator crabs dress themselves in living coral polyps and sea anemones, the latter of which have stinging tentacles that deter predators. These crabs actually have tiny, Velcro-like hooks on their shell that hold their accessories in place. Other types of decorator crabs dress in bits of poisonous seaweed, which they attach to themselves with a glue-like secretion. Ever thrifty, decorator crabs will recycle their decor when they molt their shell by removing it from the old one and reattaching it to the new when it hardens.
A well-dressed crab can be practically invisible on the reefs where they live. True to their fashion-forward natures, these crabs are not above using human-made clothing, sandals and other items that have washed out to sea, which is an odd sight indeed!
VIDEO: Watch this fun BBC video all about dresser crabs.
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Hariy land crabs... Just what the world needs LOL! I wonder how they taste?! Interesting looking buggers!
Posted by: avandia lawsuit | 12/07/2010 at 09:28 PM
That youtube video reminds me of the movie Arachnaphobia... Scary looking crabs!
Posted by: avandia lawsuit settlements | 12/07/2010 at 09:29 PM
I have been looking for info on decorator crabs for my son's report on camoflage in animals. This video is one of the most interesting things I've seen on the subject. Fascinating that they will use anything to "dress" themselves, even random junk they find. Thanks for a great video!
Posted by: jjflores | 05/12/2011 at 09:43 PM
Its amazing that they can hide themselves in such genius ways. Very clever creatures.
Posted by: Cannabis Seeds | 11/04/2011 at 09:05 AM
Looks very creepy but they are amazing creatures.
Posted by: jump2top | 12/26/2012 at 05:51 PM