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Toupeed decorator spider crab

Decorator crabs attempt to be masters of disguise, covering themselves with live anemone, bits of coral, tunicates etc. This crab has two almost-too-big anemones on his head and back reminiscent of a bad toupee. On one dive I found a decorator with nothing to decorate with. With four arms holding it in place, he was desperately trying to attach a small fire urchin to his back. The urchin simply walked off whenever the crab got distracted. Someone should have told him that since both urchins and crabs are food for the octopus and cuttlefish, all he was doing was attracting even more attention.

6/9/05 6:23:14 PM
Country: Indonesia
Area/City: N. Manado

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© 2005 Dan Meriwether
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Schizophrys aspera