Pom pom crab: The crustacean that uses anemones as boxing gloves

an orange and black crab holding two yellow sea anenomes on white coral — A pom pom crab (*Lybia edmondsoni*) clutching its prized anenomes. (Picture credit score: Khaichuin Sim/Getty Photos)

Identify: Hawaiian boxer crab or pom pom crab (Lybia edmondsoni)

The place it lives: The Hawaiian Islands

What it eats: Shrimp, squid

Why it is superior: The pom pom crab grows to solely round half an inch (13 millimeters) extensive, and its comfortable exoskeleton means its armor is fairly ineffective. But regardless of its minuscule dimension, this pugnacious little crustacean likes to battle and eat whereas clutching harmful weapons — sea anemones.

The pom pom crabs, often known as Hawaiian boxer crabs, carry tiny sea anemones in every claw and use them to spar with rivals. This anemone species, Triactis producta, is venomous — and the crabs wave the anemones round as a method of defending towards predators and catching meals.

However in addition they carry them throughout mini battles with one another.

In a research of the habits printed in 1997, researchers chosen 12 pairs of crabs — six males and 6 females — and pitted them towards one another in a tiny crustacean gladiator enviornment. The winner was the crab that retreated or fled the least.

Associated: Why do animals preserve evolving into crabs?

The movies confirmed that the crabs used the anemones extra for present than for contact. When the anemones did contact opponents, it gave the impression to be accidentally. So why trouble wielding these anemones?

The researchers had a number of concepts, however there was little consensus. There have been a number of proposed (and contradictory) hypotheses. One was that the anemones are so poisonous to the crabs that they are too dangerous to make use of as weapons — their use may lead to extreme hurt to each fighters.

On the flip facet, they might truly be unhazardous to the crabs, so there’s not a lot level to utilizing them.

Lastly, the anemones could also be so precious that it would not be value it for the crabs to threat damaging the anemones. They do know the crabs use the anemones to gather meals particles and eat from them. After they lose one of many anemones, the crabs break up the remaining one in two, so it at all times has one in every claw.

Scientists are nonetheless checking out why the boxer crabs cling to the ocean anemones. What the anemone will get out of it’s nonetheless unknown.

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