Globe crab
Randallia ornata
- Not on exhibit
- Animal type
- Invertebrates
- Ecosystem
- Sandy seafloor
- Relatives
- Purse crabs (Family: Leucosiidae); other crabs, lobsters, shrimps
- Diet
- Invertebrates, organic matter
- Range
- Northern Baja California
- Size
- Up to 2 inches (5 cm)
Meet the globe crab
You may see only the northern half of the globe crab tucked into the seabed. If hiding doesn't fool their predators, the crab scuttles this way and that, leading pursuers on a merry chase.
Conservation
Used motor oil poured down the drain or on the ground winds up in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Each year, Americans illegally dispose of 220 million gallons of oil—20 times the Exxon Valdez spill. The solution? Recycle the oil—it can be re-refined and reused.
Cool fact
- All crabs must shed their shells, or exoskeletons, in order to grow. After the crab struggles free of their old exoskeleton, they're vulnerable for several days while the new soft shell hardens into protective armor.
Up next in sandy seafloor
Animal
Sanddab
This flatfish avoids being eaten by burying itself in the sandy seafloor until only its eyes are visible.
Keep exploring
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Bat ray
A bat ray flaps its batlike wings to swim through the water to help it uncover prey hiding in the sand.