Inseparable from its anemone pom poms, the boxer crab travels enormous distances to find its flowers.
Nothing can separate this boxer crab from its anemones.
In this study published in Peerj, scientists present a tiny and yet very bizarre crab. He looks like a breaded crab and is able to travel immense distances to find his favorite flower: the anemone.
His name is Lybia Leptochelis. It lives in the coral reefs of the Red Sea. It is very popular in aquariums because it always carries live anemones, underwater flowers in its claws – like a cheerleader.
Sea anemone
It is a carnivorous marine animal provided with tentacles. It has a foot that allows it to anchor in the sand or on rocky support.
What happens if someone steals one of his bouquets?
Patiently, the crab will force its anemone to reproduce by cutting it in half. A process that takes him 20 minutes. The two pieces of anemone will start growing individually in the crab claws.
What happens if you put a boxer crab without anemone with a crab that has two?
To date, researchers have never seen this crab with a single anemone. He always manages to have two.
Camouflage
It is a concealment technique that animals use to escape their predators. They blend into their surroundings to give the illusion of disappearing.
