The tide was low and the sun was shining. I went to the beach. There I met these three crabs.
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| Large red rock crab, Cancer productus. |
He was hiding, not moving, as far under a rock as he could jam himself. I touched his cheliped gently; he moved it a few millimetres. Alive, then. Watching me with one eye.
This one saw me coming and ran away. Even though he was already well camouflaged with sand on his carapace and a piece of sea lettuce pasted to his back. Not taking any risks, though.
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| Mid-sized red rock crab. |
This one saw me coming and ran away. Even though he was already well camouflaged with sand on his carapace and a piece of sea lettuce pasted to his back. Not taking any risks, though.
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| Tiny purple shore crab, Hemigrapsus nudus. |
I never would have seen this little guy if he hadn't come up to challenge me. He held that pose while I approached, while I took his photo, while I walked away until I was out of sight. Valiant little critter!
More intertidal finds tomorrow; it was a productive beach visit, and I'm still processing the photos.
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La marea estaba bien baja y hacía sol. Fui a la playa, y allí encontré estos tres cangrejos.
1. Un cangrejo rojo de roca, Cancer productus.
Este cangrejo grande estaba escondido, sin moverse, a lo más que podía introducirse bajo una piedra. Toqué levemente un quelípedo y lo arrimó unos cuantos milímetros. Vivía, entonces. Y me miraba con un solo ojo.
2. Otro cangrejo rojo de roca, este de tamaño mediano.
Este cangrejo me vió venir y se echó a correr. Eso, aunque ya estaba bien protegido, con arena sobre el carapacio y una hoja de alga marina en el trasero como camuflaje. ¡No iba a correr ningún riesgo, de todas maneras!
3. Un cangrejito costero morado, Hemigrapsus nudus.
Nunca habría visto este cangrejito si no hubiera salido para retarme. Mantuvo esa postura mientras me acercaba, mientras le sacaba la foto, y hasta que me había alejado tanto que no lo podía ver. ¡Criatura valiente!
Mañana subo más criaturas de la zona intermareal; era una visita muy productiva, y todavía estoy procesando las fotos.
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