Crab 'forest man'

The 'forest man' crab who lives in deep water near the sea of ​​Costa-Rica, is more and more a microbial garden, used to make food for themselves.

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The reason why this crab is called the forest crab is because it belongs to the hirsutist (like the Yeti forest) named Kiwa hirsuta, discovered in 2006 in Easter Island.

The following year, scientists at the University of Oregon during a geological exploration accidentally discovered a second member of the family, named science Kiwa puravida . This second word in the language of Native Americans means 'real life' . The researchers marveled at the large number of crabs living right near Costa-Rica's main port, which no one had known for a long time.

Kiwa "Forest" crab Kiirs hirsuta. (Photo: ebaumsworld.com)

The study of the life of this newly discovered animal indicates that hard, covered hairs sometimes carry a large number of symbiotic bacteria, assimilating energy from inorganic, dissolved gases. country. We just remove and cup this very fat bacteria, thanks to the mouth that looks like a comb. The results of the analysis of isotopes and fatty acids, found in crab bodies prove that bacteria are their main dish.

Bacteria that live in Kiwa puravida's 'farms' are close relatives of microorganisms that live in cold water sources or the mouths of hydrothermal sources worldwide.

The observation of the behavior of crabs shows that, thanks to their continuous "big dance" , they are able to attract nutrients to feed a whole population of bacteria. The researchers said they first discovered how to eat crabs because they found them dancing in a very funny and unique way.

Crab Kiwa puravida is not the only species that goes anywhere and carries a bulky farm. There are two other crustaceans, Shinkaia crosnieri and shrimp Rimicaris exoculata, which live near hydrothermal water sources that also live on bacteria that cling to their bodies.

According to experts, the method of living by raising food on your body does not seem very rare in the biological world. Perhaps nature has generously granted crustaceans the ability to proliferate in hot water sources as well as cold water at the deep bottom of the ocean.