Slashdot Mirror
Yeti Crab Cultivates Bacteria On Claw, Then Eats Them
Pierre Bezukhov writes with some interesting news from the deep as reported in Nature: "In the deep ocean off the coast of Costa Rica, scientists have found a species of crab that cultivates gardens of bacteria on its claws, then eats them. ... The bristles that cover the crab's claws and body are coated in gardens of symbiotic bacteria, which derive energy from the inorganic gases of the seeps. The crab eats the bacteria, using comb-like mouthparts to harvest them from its bristles. ... [Scientists believe] the crab waves its claws to actively farm its bacterial gardens: movements stir up the water around the bacteria, ensuring that fresh supplies of oxygen and sulphide wash over them and helping them to grow."
You mean this isn't an original piece from one of Slashdot's crack team of reporters?!
The world you experience is only a close approximation of reality.
Think about all those poor bacteria that it kills in order to feed itself. It should be more like the moral crabs that are scavenger, at least they eat what is already dead.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
You could have posted it yourself you know. Judging by the name I guess reddit is for people who view news stories like Pokemon ("gotta read em all!", "I read more random stories than you!"). Slashdot is fun because of the comments, not just the articles.
which is totally what she said
Significant discovery, because the crab does not use the sun or any sun light based organism to survive. It opens doors to complex life on watery moons and planets with mild water volcanism.
Think of all the possible crab alien that evolved into complex societies !
~epSos.de
I thought that was a sexually transmitted disease among abominable snowmen.
Another good option is you could stop being such a whiny little bitch.
which is totally what she said
like-wringing-out-a-beard dept.
"In the deep basement off the coast of mom's house, scientists have found a species of neckbeard that cultivates gardens of bacteria on its facial hair, then eats them. ... The bristles that cover the neckbeard's facial hair and body are coated in gardens of symbiotic bacteria, which derive energy from Cheeto dust. The neckbeard eats the bacteria, using comb-like mouthparts to harvest them from its bristles."
Video of a lower life form engaging in the same behaviour.
There are so many amazing creatures in the ocean. The Pom Pom crab does something kind of similar, in that it actually carries around 2 anemones in it's claws and uses them to catch food with and to defend itself. It is not born with those anemones and actually has to find them. If it loses one it attempts to split the remaining one in two, something we still have trouble with. Very interesting creature!
Further reading -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lybia_edmondsoni
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=497+501+1474&pcatid=1474
http://www.aquariaworld.co.uk/invertebrates/boxer_crab.htm