Off topic: Stunning Crab Photos from Arthur Anker!

Today, a little diversion from echinoderm as we feature, once again, the stunning invertebrate zoology photography of Arthur Anker featuring some of his favorite animals!

A "strawberry crab" (Pelia mutica) from the Honduras

wow! A festive decorator spider crab called Cyclax suborbicularis (Majidae) from Moorea, French Polynesia

A "christmas lights crab (Paractaea rufopunctata)

The spectacular deep-water crab Rochinia crassa

An awesome looking leucosiid crab, Heteronucia venusta from Guam

A stunning Chilean hermit crab (Pagurus edwardsi) infested by a parasitic barnacle (=a rhizocephalan called Peltogasterella gracilis)

A striking striped crab, Liopetrolisthes mitra

An interesting grapsid crab, from French Polynesia

A gorgeous polka dot xanthid crab, Cycloxanthops vittatus from Panama

Stunning red xanthid crab, Liomera rubra from Guam

Fire crab! (Hirsutodynomene sp.)

More polka dots! (Trapezia tigrina)

A flat-rock elbow crab, Cryptopodia fornicata

and wow..there's more which I will add in another post some day!

Commensal Crabs RIDE that starfish!!!

Thanks to Anna and BlennyWatcher.com!


This is probably the first time that these swimming crabs have been observed living commensally on Luidia maculata (or possibly on ANY starfish).

When people talk about commensals (crabs or whatever) living on a larger host, its often assumed they are taking advantage of things like food (from what the sea star eats) and protection..but here's ANOTHER potential "win" for the crab-TRANSPORT (aka dispersal).  Is this possibly how these crabs get around from one place to another??

Note also how the animal keeps on arching up?  It doesn't seem to be expelling gametes (as has been documented here before) so maybe its not all too fond of the crab attention and trying to shake them off??

Ride the Luidia Express!

Wow! Have a great weekend!