Lamarckdromia Crabs: these fluffy crabs make their own protective "hats" out of living sea sponges; after selecting a suitable sponge, the crab trims it down to the right size, drapes the tailored sponge across its carapace, and carries it around

[u/SixteenSeveredHands]

[u/SixteenSeveredHands]

Lamarckdromia beagle is a newly classified species that was discovered off the coast of Western Australia just last year. It belongs to the genus Lamarckdromia, which is part of the Dromiidae family. Members of this clade are known to use living sea sponges and ascidians to protect themselves from predators, earning them the nickname "sponge crabs."

According to this article from The Guardian:

Dr. Andrew Hosie, a curator of crustacea and worms at the Western Australian Museum, said sponge crabs had hind legs that were specially adapted for holding their protective hats.

“The sponge or ascidian just keeps growing and will mould to the shape of the crab’s back,” he said. “It will never attach … it forms a nice cap that fits quite snugly to the top of the crab."

Similar to how hermit crabs use shells for protection, the sponges help Dromiidae crabs to camouflage from predators such as octopuses and other crabs.

The sponges can be bigger than the crab itself, and also provide a chemical deterrent. “Some of the compounds that these sponges are producing are very noxious,” Hosie said. “There’s not a lot of active predators that would be interested in munching through a sponge just to get to a crab.”

Two species of Lamarckdromia crabs are featured in the images for this post -- the first and second photos both show L. beagle, while the third photo depicts L. excavata.

Sources & More Info

• The Guardian: "Fluffy" Crab that Wears a Sponge as a Hat Discovered in Western Australia
• Reef Builders: Lamarckdromia Beagle is a New Species of Sponge Crab from Australia
• Zootaxa: Sponge Crabs of Western Australia and the Northwest Shelf with Descriptions of New Genera and Species
• LiveScience: Extremely Fuzzy Sponge Crab
• Australian Broadcasting Corporation: New Sponge Crab Species Found off WA Coast Named After Charles Darwin's Research Boat
• Slate: Meet the Fluffy Crab that Wears a Hat

[u/IdyllicSafeguard → u/SixteenSeveredHands]

Lamarckdromia beagle

It's so cool that we've discovered such a unique new species so recently, just last year!

Really shows that there are still so many animals for us to find out there. Thanks for sharing!

[u/EpilepticMushrooms → u/SixteenSeveredHands]

IT'S. SO. FLUFFEH!!!!!!

[u/[deleted] → u/SixteenSeveredHands]

I'm having a lot of trouble articulating my reaction to this news

[u/PizzaDelivery_WOF → u/SixteenSeveredHands]

ITS SCIENTIFIC NAME IS BEAGLE!? I love this crab