Off the coast of Western Australia, a fluffy crab with a sponge cap for concealment has been spotted.
The new species, designated Lamarckdromia beagle, uses its claws to trim down sea sponges and then wears them as a hat to shield itself from fish and octopi.
The crustaceans utilize their hind legs to support their odd hats, which act as protection in the same manner that hermit crabs’ shells do.
To scare off predators, the sponge hats can also release unpleasant chemicals.
The sponge hat will continue to grow and conform to the curve of the crab’s back, according to Dr Andrew Hosie, a curator of crustaceans and worms at the Western Australian Museum.
‘It will never attach … it forms a nice cap that fits quite snugly to the top of the crab,’ he told The Guardian.
A family discovered the unusual crab on a beach in Denmark, on Western Australia’s south coast.
The crustacean was delivered to the Western Australian Museum for identification.
The purpose of the critter’s fluffy legs, according to Dr. Hosie, isn’t clear, although it could be to assist it hide from predators even more.
‘The sponge or the ascidian that these things carry should offer it all the camouflage it needs,’ he said.
The crab was named after the HMS Beagle, which transported Charles Darwin around the world and to Albany, Western Australia, in 1836.
They prefer the shallows, but may survive in water as deep as a few hundred meters.
Dr. Hosie believes that many more unknown species could be lurking in Australian waters.