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Project Noah Nature School
Huenia heraldica
This is a small Decorator Crab, around 1.5cm in size that lives exclusively on Halimeda algae. Its green color is a blends in perfectly with the Halimeda algae but as if that is not enough, it will cut off pieces of the Halimeda algae to attached to its shell/carapace to make it even more difficult to see.
Shallow coral reefs where there are Halimeda Algae
Spotted on Mar 25, 2013
Submitted on Mar 31, 2014
2 Comments
Yes, @Chun, that piece on top of its head is part of the Halimeda aglae which it has cut and 'glued' to its body. Usually, they have 2 pieces of that.
I have always been fascinated with Decorator Crabs, this one is truly awesome!
Is that large piece sticking on it's hind a part of the algae it collects ?