'The Heart Urchin Pea Crab'

'The Heart Urchin Pea Crab'
(Natural History Episode 22)

Barely 7mm in size, the aptly named heart urchin pea crab (Dissodactylus primitivus) lives its entire life as a passenger upon the slow-moving red heart urchin (Meoma ventricosa). It is an example of the unusual life that can be found by looking in unexpected places on Floridian coral reefs. The red heart urchin is an unusual member of the echinoderm clan (e.g. urchins, sea stars, sand dollars, sea cucumbers) that spends most of its time burrowing in the sand. It sifts through the grains of sand searching for organic detritus that constitutes its diet. Likewise, the heart urchin pea crab lives a well-protected life (usually below the sand) amongst the spines of this fist-sized urchin. While most crabs move swiftly, this pea crab moves slowly in order to navigate through the corridors of spines, even spending time inside the urchin's mouth. It is likely that the crab feeds upon some of the food that would otherwise be consumed by the urchin. This commensal relationship appears mildly parasitic, as the urchin doesn't seem to gain any sort of direct benefit from the crab living amongst its spines. Frequently, several heart urchin pea crabs will live communally without any noticeable negative impact to their host urchin's health.

If you look closely, you'll notice the rhythmic working of its gills and circulatory system within the heart urchin pea crab's translucent, eggshell exoskeleton.

Music, Video, and Aquarium
MORPHOLOGIC STUDIOS
2010

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Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• The Heart Urchin Pea Crab
• Coral Morphologic
• Morphologic Studios
• Aquarium
• Coral
• Reef

[SofaKingJB]

that was somehow... just... fuckin nuts.. is the flashing on its "cheeks" due to color change or is that like its gills? excuse the incorrect terminology.