Archive for the 'Crustaceans' Category
The male fiddler crabs have one claw that is much larger than the other. This extra large claw is shaped like a fiddle.
It is useful for two main reasons.
The first being that if waved in a certain manner it attracts some hot chicks, er, female fiddler crabs. The second is that it is a useful [...]
First of all, let’s chat biotechnology, or, ‘biotech’, as those in the industry call it.
The concept of biotech has been around for ages, just, not given the fancy term. For instance, planting seeds to produce food, fermenting juice for wine and churning milk into cheese are all processes that use some derivative of a plant [...]
No. I mentioned in the very first BCS blog entry that the horseshoe crab is a “sweetheart of an animal” and I will continue to defend that statement. Some people may think that the tail spine, or telson, is poisonous. What the telson is simply used for is to flip the animal over when a [...]
Rest assure those crab shells are simply that – shells. Crabs (of all kinds – blue. lady, horseshoe) go through a molting phase and the old shell is basically washed up in the wrack line.
The wrack line is that line of seemingly dead seaweed that entangles lots of fun ocean treasures such as sea beans, [...]
The male lobster is apparently quite the Casanova. Studies have shown that female lobsters tend to patiently wait in line outside of a male lobster’s den waiting for their turn to mate. One could say lobsters are apparently the ocean’s version of a rock star.
The males really do have all the right moves – for [...]
Yes. There are 45,000 different types of marine isopods. Isopods are crustaceans and have a body divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen. Actually, isopods are the most diverse of all the types of crustaceans and are unique because they are the most widely distrubed crustacean out there! When in doubt, call it an [...]
Again, the answer is appropriate for this time of year…those quarter sized holes are the home the ghost crabs or fiddler crabs.
Ghost crabs emerge to scavenger upon anything they can get: crabs or clams, bugs or insects, plants or dead stuff (detritus).
The burrows are personal territories (not colonies – like on Meerkat Manor). If [...]
Great question as Halloween approaches!
Common spider crabs, or sometimes called mud crabs, are harmless. In fact, their shells are covered with fine short hairs. When you (if you) attempt to pick one up they would actually feel as though their body was covered in felt.
The short little hairs are really what helps the spider crab [...]
Most likely, acorn barnacles.
Let me guess, they look like tiny volcanoes? And they hurt if you rub up against them?
That is the outer shell made of calcium. They put this protective layer up when they are not under water.
When it is hide tide the acorn barnacle opens up the volcanoes structure and extends tiny little [...]
As I mentioned before, the horseshoe crab is a rather frightening looking creature, however quite the opposite is true, they are the steadfast, strong member of the ocean community. This animal, not only is a vital part of the Atlantic coast food chain, but has remained rather unchanged since before the time of the dinosaurs! [...]
