The Crabs That Stick Camouflage All Over Their Bodies? It’s Called Fashion

(upbeat lounge music)

[Narrator] Here we see the famous urchin,

with it's general prickly-ness.

Not exactly the most mobile of sea creatures.

Uh, what did I just say?

Not the most mobile of sea creatures.

Unless that is, an urchin ends up as a hat

for the urchin crab.

This isn't a gag and it isn't an anomaly.

This is just what the urchin crab does.

Because while crabs may be well, crabby and pinchy,

they're no match for big predators.

By donning the urchin as a hat, the crab assumes

it's defenses.

While it may seem like nothing more than an embarrassment

for the urchin, it actually doesn't get such a raw deal.

The crab ends up transporting it to new feeding grounds.

That means the urchin gets more food without expending

the energy getting there on it's own.

Even more elaborate are the decorator crabs.

To blend in with their environment, they stick

all kinds of materials to their shells.

From seaweed to coral.

Their trick is tiny hairlike structures that snag

the decorations and hold on tight.

And indeed the hook tears look exactly like Velcro!

So the next time you can't decide what to wear,

roll in glue and stick on everything around you.

It's called fashion.

Surprised you hadn't heard of it.