The strange ghost crab has no tongue but still makes a cry, the X-ray expert has just figured it out

Can ghost crabs make calls? How is that?

Ghost crabs are the first animals to use the sound of their stomachs to communicate, researchers say.

Crabs are "hot-tempered" animals, most crabs make a sound, which we still hear is the clatter of their claws. Particularly in ghost crabs, they have an additional secret weapon to intimidate enemies and scare away predators when their two large claws are busy fighting. Besides, on the claws, ghost crabs can also make sounds from rubbing the ledges on the claws to scare the enemy.

Ghost crab. (Image: Wikipedia)

"This is definitely an advantage if there are predators nearby. They can hold their claws out and be ready," said Jennifer Taylor, a crab biologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California . rushing, but at the same time making these sounds in the stomach."

Crab species often possess unusual stomachs that help them process food. Inside their stomachs are small teeth, lined up next to each other to form "stomach millers". Particularly in ghost crabs, the mill has an extra sharp tooth in the middle. When food enters the stomach, the mill's mechanism is responsible for chopping and crushing what goes into the stomach.

According to The Guardian , biologist Taylor said she felt attracted to hearing the sounds the crabs make. "I have observed them to see if they move anything other than their claws, at first glance, nothing happens. Furthermore, the researcher thinks that this crab is very intelligent."

Not only did they develop special mechanisms on the pins to produce sound, but they also adopted this second method as a backup. If their claws are already busy, they can make similar sounds inside their bellies.

So the researchers tried to delve deeper into the internal structure. The first attempt failed when a crab crushed a tiny endoscope that was inserted into its mouth. Continuing on the second attempt, they took a more efficient approach.

Using a technique called laser doppler vibrometry , the scientists shone lasers at different parts of a crab. The results showed that the strongest vibrations came from the abdomen of this animal.

The strange sound of ghost crabs made by the teeth in the belly.

To learn more about this mechanism, Taylor's team took the crabs to a medical center. They X-rayed the crabs as they struggled with sticks and other items. After several attempts, the researchers recorded the stomach mills working to make a warning sound.

The ghost crabs are the size of a hand, they live in burrows dug in the sand and are active at night. This crab species in Vietnam is also known by the coastal people as "white crab". These crabs are edible, but their meat is not as rich and delicious as other crab species. If you want to eat, the way to cook white crab is the same as other crab species, it is required to cook at high temperature and for a long time to be able to completely eliminate the parasites present on this crab. .