A species of crab recently discovered in Australia fashions its cover from living sponges, making
The new species was named Lamarckdromia beagle.He washed ashore near the town of Denmark in Western Australia. The people who found the crab sent the specimen to Andrew Hosie, curator of crustacean and worm collections at the Western Australian Museum in Perth. He recognized the animal as a kind of sponge crab, although "quite unusual."
“The extreme fluffiness was a gift to us,” Hosey told Live Science. "Sponge crabs are often hairy, but it's more like felt or velvet than shaggy fur."
Members of the sponge crab family (Dromiidae)use sharp front claws to collect pieces of sponges and sea squirts and hind legs to hold material overhead. Over time, these scraps accumulate to form a sort of tight-fitting cap, helping the animal hide from predatory fish, other crabs and octopuses that might eat it.
Sponges are also known to produce harmful chemicals that likely make crabs a less tempting snack for predators, the scientist said.
After receiving the sponge-covered sample, Hosey contactedColin Maclay, a retired marine biologist and former assistant professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. He studied sponge crabs for decades and confirmed that the specimen from Denmark was a previously unknown species.
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