Inspector Crab

Hedgehog Crab (Derilambrus angulifrons)

This spiky little crustacean belongs to the Parthenopidae family and is found in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Its spiny shell helps it blend in with rocky environments, offering protection from predators.

Because the crabs are raised in a lab, they don’t have any experience with predators. So before putting them onto the reef, Spadaro and his team may have to condition them to fear things like octopuses, snappers, and groupers. One way to do this is by using puppets modeled after predators. By putting these puppets in the tanks while poking at the crabs, the crabs learn to move away from the threat. Several months ago, Mote partnered with a local elementary school and had students craft hand puppets, modeled after crab predators, to use in fear conditioning. (Fortunately, the crabs don’t have great vision.)