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Image: budak |
Moon Crabs are less than 20 species in the Matutidae family.
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Image: Andrey Papko |
But it also gave us cool words like "matutine" and "matutinal" which all have something to do with the morning and there was also a Roman goddess of the dawn called Mater Matuta.
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Image: Bill & Mark Bell |
Moon Crabs are mostly nocturnal, so they clearly went for the Moon option. They also have a pair of large spikes sticking out of the sides of their carapace so they look just like a moon on a stick.
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Image: Ria Tan |
Every one of their eight feet is flattened into a kind of paddle or spade so they can disappear underground at a moment's notice or even swim when they want to.
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Image: Ria Tan |
I still don't know if they can dance with eight flat feet, though.
So they're called Moon Crabs because they look like a moon skewered on a stick, and because - also like the moon - they can rapidly bury themselves. Also they have something to do with the morning, much like the moon does not.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I think that maybe the marine biologist who named this little guy was just thinking about the moon at the time. It could've just as easily been the lasagna crab, given its coloration and the lunch menu for that particular research vessel.
pretty cool!
ReplyDelete@Crunchy: I love the idea of Lasagne Crab! I wonder how many creatures out there are named after something as silly the day's breakfast? I'm sure it's out there somewhere!
ReplyDelete@TexWisGirl: They're not bad!