The Weirdest Ocean Inhabitants Their Fascinating Stories

The ocean is filled with commotion and wonders, and no creature embodies this more than the Lybia Boxer crab or Pom-Pom Crab. Known for its bright and cheery appearance, this little creature stands out as a marvel of nature.

Unusual Crabs of the Ocean

1. Lybia Boxer Crab or Pom-Pom Crab

Also known as the Pom-Pom Crab, this creature is a perfect representation of mutualism in nature. Its “pom-poms” are actually sea anemones, which it carries around to defend itself. This relationship benefits both the crab and the anemone, allowing the crab to defend itself, and the anemone to travel faster and access more food.

2. Candy Crabs

These tiny crustaceans are found throughout the Indo-Pacific tropics and are known for their bright colors, which they use to blend into their environment. Their bright coloring helps them camouflage with the polyps and coral where they live. Despite their size, they are fascinating to observe.

3. Ghost Crabs

Named for their nearly invisible coloring and nocturnal habits, ghost crabs are semi-terrestrial and can be found in tropical areas around the world. Their ability to move between land and water makes them quite unique.

The Ancient Horseshoe Crab

One of the ocean's most ancient and mysterious creatures is the horseshoe crab. Let's dive into some incredible facts about them.

10 Incredible Horseshoe Crab Facts

1. Horseshoe crabs predate the dinosaurs. Fossils dating back 445 million years have been discovered, making them much older than dinosaurs. They have survived without much change over 200 million years and are often referred to as “living fossils.”

2. Horseshoe crab blood is blue. Unlike human red blood, which contains iron, their blood contains copper, resulting in its unique blue color. This is due to a protein called hemocyanin, which transports oxygen.

3. Six pairs of legs but only five for walking. Horseshoe crabs use their last pair of legs to move food into their mouths. They can eat worms, algae, clams, and other small prey found in ocean sediment. They have no jaws and crush their food with their legs before eating.

4. Each female can lay about 4,000 eggs. In May and early June, Atlantic horseshoe crabs migrate to beaches where they dig nests and lay clusters of eggs. These eggs will hatch in about a month, and the newly born crabs have almost see-through shells.

5. Many shorebirds rely on horseshoe crab eggs. Thousands of shorebirds, such as red knots, ruddy turnstones, and sanderlings, feed on horseshoe crab eggs, which are high in fat and protein, providing necessary energy for long migratory flights.

6. Horseshoe crabs are not true crabs. Instead, they are more closely related to scorpions and spiders, being the only living members of the Xiphosura order.

7. They contribute to modern medicine. Horseshoe crab blood contains a unique enzyme called LAL, which is used to test for bacterial endotoxins in medical products. Unfortunately, many crabs die during this process, and researchers are exploring synthetic alternatives to protect these unique creatures.

8. Their pointed tail serves to flip. The telson, or pointed tail, is used to flip the crab if it becomes stuck. It also acts as a rudder when the crab is swimming upside down.

9. Fluorescent under UV light. Younger horseshoe crabs with lighter shells glow brighter under ultraviolet light, serving an unknown purpose in nature.

10. A living fossil. No creature has survived unchanged since before the time of dinosaurs, and the horseshoe crab is one of them. Its resilience and adaptation make it a fascinating study in evolution.

This article highlights the incredible diversity of life in the ocean and the importance of preserving these unique and ancient creatures. If you are curious to learn more about these fascinating marine animals, you can read articles featured in esteemed publications such as the June 2022 issue of National Zoo News.

With my thanks to all those who have contributed to our understanding of these wonderful creatures, we hope you have gained a new appreciation for the wonders of the ocean and the creatures that inhabit it.