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Spider Decorator Crab

Camposcia retusa

Photo by Eric Noora
Published on Project Noah
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13.803, 120.912

Field Notes

Description:

So named because of its habit of decorating its brown body with various objects that it can find, from sponges, rocks, shells to corals and the like, as a form of camouflage and avoid predators.

Notes:

Spotted this beautifully decorated spider crab during a night dive at the sandy portion of the Classroom at Dive and Trek. Depth of about 7m.

Reference Links:

Camposcia retusa, http://www.aquariumdomain.com/viewMarineInvertSpecies.php?invert_marine_id=24

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (6)
Harsha Singh
They had put it in an aquarium with shreds of clothes of vivid colors and it started sticking them all to itself. :)
Eric Noora
Good for you Harsha. Have yet to see it do that underwater :-)
Harsha Singh
Funny guy. I have seen it doing make-up on tv. :)
Eric Noora
Hi Nopayahnah, They attach the objects to hairs in their carapace :-)
Maria dB
My goodness. How does it attach everything to its body?

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Global Coral Reef Monitoring

Tags

Photographed
PublishedFebruary 17, 2012

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