The Rocks Have Eyes

photo: E. Loury

These brown box crabs might easily get mistaken for rocks – but the “holes” they form in the joints of their claws makes them unmistakably distinct from other crab species.  These specimens of Lopholithodes foraminatus were collected aboard a NMFS groundfish survey off southern California.  They would make great adornments to an underwater rock garden if they could just hold that pose…

photo: E. Loury