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| Snow-white crab. |
This miniature crab was hiding in a shell I brought home on Canada Day. He's about 1/4 inch across, and spends his time hiding under the edge of the clamshell, where he matches the white of the barnacles on top. Only when he ventures out to grab a bite to eat, does he expose those brown and orange legs; they look borrowed, not really his; they don't match.
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| Pink eyes! |
I can't tell what species he is yet. He's too small, and too shy. His colours may change as he grows, too.
does the shell color reflect the diet? Could this be a sign of what he was feeding on at the beach?
ReplyDeleteIt's possible. I thought at first that he had just finished molting, but he's been here for 10 days now, and is still white.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeding everyone shrimp pellets and frozen raw shrimp (pink), fuzzy eelgrass (beige), red algae and green sea lettuce. And an occasional treat of human food; dried sushi seaweed, which is almost black. Nothing seems to change colour except the shrimp.
I wonder if he's an albino... The pink eyes seems to indicate that. He wouldn't last long in the wild if he really is.
ReplyDeleteOh, I just missed what you said about his coloured legs. Is it the same for his left legs?
DeleteOh, I just missed what you said about his coloured legs. Is it the same for his left legs?
DeleteI wonder if he's an albino... The pink eyes seems to indicate that. He wouldn't last long in the wild if he really is.
ReplyDeleteTim, Yes, the legs on both sides are coloured. You can see a hint of them in the photos. And if you look closely, the tip of the pincers is slightly grey. He may develop more colour as he grows.
ReplyDeleteTo survive in nature you have to use every trick in the book. - Margy
ReplyDelete