Why do decorator crabs decorate themselves

Are decorator crabs omnivores? What do decorator crabs look like? Are crabs attracted to shiny things? Where are decorator crabs found? Are decorator crabs endangered? What happens to the shell as a decorator crab grows in size?

Can fiddler crabs regrow claws? How long does it take a crab to regrow a claw? Why do crabs have one bigger claw? Next Article Where is the earliest Christian art found? The crab will select pieces of seaweed, coral, rocks, or even other small animals from around its habitat and then fastens them to hooked bristles on the back of its shell.

This camouflage helps protect the crab from predators and so long as they stay in the general area of where they scavenged, the crab can look near invisible on the reef or seafloor. The hooked bristles along its body are known as setae and they act very much like Velcro.

This allows for the crab to change what is hooked to its body if needed — for example, a crab may take off a ring of seaweed scavenged earlier if it finds a stinging anemone that could better scare off a hungry fish or larger crab. Like many crabs, decorator crabs molt as they grow, shedding their inflexible shells when they become too small.

Against the proper background, a decorator crab can blend in perfectly. Stachowicz , an ecologist at the University of California, Davis. For instance, the yellowline arrow crab Stenorhynchus seticornis tears a piece of seaweed in its claws and then chews it to make it rougher and more likely to catch on its shell. It backs up the camouflage by remaining still during the day and freezing when predators approach.

They go for materials that are chemically noxious or otherwise repugnant to predators. They must be healthy and find adequate food to fuel the energy requirements of weight lifting.

Last but hardly the least important of all is that as crustaceans, these crabs will have to shed their old exoskeletons as they grow bigger. In the case of the hermit crabs, they must procure a larger snail shell as well. This would effectively mean that decorator crabs have to reassemble their disguise from scratch each time, or smartly repurpose and transfer participants from their existing team onto their newly moulted bodies.

Sometimes I wonder whether decorator crabs have their own version of Extreme Makeover or Better Homes and Garden s for the latest in live accessories and camouflaging tips, to keep up with the constantly changing trends in evolution! She is also an avid writer, keen on sharing her experiences with wildlife to help more people reconnect with nature. He creates awareness about marine and freshwater ecosystems. He also facilitates art residencies and educational programmes with EarthCoLab.

RoundGlass RoundGlass Sustain. Halimeda algae. Umeed Mistry is an award-winning underwater photographer and filmmaker. Share this story. Related Stories for You. Nicobar treeshrew , Andaman and Nicobar Islands.