'Very shaggy, surprisingly soft.'
Sponge crabs don't just fashion coats and chapeaus for the fun of it. In reality, these talented little sea tailors wear them as a form of camouflage.
"The crabs trim the sponge to shape, let it grow to the shape of their body and use them as a hat or protective blanket keep them protected from predators such as octopus and fish," Hosie toldStill, he and others are stumped as to why this shaggy critter's coat goes so hard, in contrast to other species of sponge crab.
"We can't really give a definitive answers as to why this species is so fluffy," he added. "We suspect it's to help further camouflage its legs from predators.". Maybe, just maybe, this creative crustacean simply marches to the beat of its own drum. A trendsetter, and never a trend-follower, if you will. And to that we say: go off!