Deep under the ocean, there is a species of crab that eats trees. - BBC

[pampango]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8353000/8353068.stm

The crab survives by eating wood that has sunk to the ocean floor, comprising trunks and leaves swept into the sea, as well as the odd shipwreck. Inside the stomach of the crab, also called a squat lobster, are bacteria and fungi that help digest the wood.

"At first sight, it seems improbable," says PhD student Caroline Hoyoux of the University of Liège, Belgium. "Munidopsis andamanica is a species only found in the deep sea and yet it eats 'terrestrial food'," she says.

Further investigation of the crabs mouthparts and gut contents revealed they feed exclusively on wood. "The wood falls that we study are principally natural tree debris that have sunk and reached the deep sea floor. They consist of real wood as well as plant fragments like leaves, seagrass, coconuts etc."

The ecological importance of wood falls rivals that of whale falls, where highly specialised communities of deep-sea animals colonise the bodies of dead whales and dolphins that drift to the sea bed.

[LiberalEsto]

1. How do they taste?

Are they good with melted butter?

:9

[trumad]

3. They have a smoky flavor...

[Historic NY]

11. too much pulp.

[imdjh]

2. Now if we can only find one that eats plastic and oil we'll be good.

[LiberalEsto]

4. How about crabs that eat CEOs and neocons? nt

[lame54]

18. imagine the indigestion and heartburn

[Kansas Wyatt]

21. How about we bribe the cleaning crew into....

Releasing tiny crabs into their private bathrooms?

[Bigmack]

29. There are some things even bottomfeeders won't eat! nt

[KittyWampus]

7. I believe there are bacteria that do eat plastic and oil.

[KittyWampus]

5. does that mean that currents in the deep sea tend to dump the wood and whale corpses in particular

spots?

Otherwise, I don't see how a crab that specializes its diet that much could evolve. There'd be too much time between meals if was just the random wood or whale find.

[Statistical]

6. That is what I wanted to know.

I kinda assumed that debris would scattery over ocean floor making concentration too low to be allow specialization.

Guess there are high density pockets.

[hunter]

13. They have lots of tiny baby crabs that drift away...

Most of of these babies don't land in hospitable places, or are eaten, but those that do land on wood start new colonies. When the wood in one place is gone the big crabs starve.

[Kaleva]

24. and end up in people's underwear.

[petronius]

25. When the wood is gone the crabs die...

If only it was that simple... ;)

[Doremus]

30. LOL

[mikelgb]

14. I would guess yes. All the plastic seems to end up in the garbage patch.

the different properties of the various items along with currents probably distribute certain items very regularly.

[tomm2thumbs]

8. it's like underwater termites that walk sideways

now I think I know where those missing buildings in Florida went

[dysfunctional press]

28. termites were my first thought as well...

like the crabs, they also have organisms inside them that digest the cellulose.

[TexasObserver]

9. I've heard of catching crabs after GETTING wood ...

[Rebubula]

10. You are horrible...

...but I LOL'd

[lonestarnot]

19. ROFLMAO

:toast:

[Motown_Johnny]

12. any speculation on these bacteria and fungi being able to break down cellulose for ethanol?

I understand they would not be producing ethanol directly, but it did say "help digest".


Perhaps in combination with ethanol producing bacteria it could be feasible. (or I am just getting my hopes up again)

[badgerpup]

15. Life is amazing in its flexibility and rugged determination to BE...

...there are critters...beautiful pure red polyps...that have evolved to exist and thrive in the rather unfriendly environment of deep-water volcanic vents.
:wow:

It's kinda humbling when you think about it...

[KittyWampus]

17. Read an article about that- life-forms that evolved without the sun but volcanic vents.

[ThomWV]

16. Better that than any sort of crab in my underwear.

[mdmc]

20. --

[Toasterlad]

22. This Belongs In The Tree-Eating Crab Forum.

[Kaleva]

23. LOL!

[Hannah Bell]

26. sounds like the opening line for a good fantasy story.

"Deep under the ocean, there is a species of crab that eats trees."

[alfredo]

27. Here's some images of "Squat Lobsters."