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Mutant Crab at CMA
An ocean version of the “X-Men” movies is now on display at CMA, but instead of a mutated gene gifting super powers, a rare mutation has endowed our new Cancer crab with a third claw!
Somehow the crab grew another claw that sticks straight out from the back of its right claw. The extra claw doesn't work like a normal claw; it’s stiff with the pincers frozen in a V-shape at the top, but with a lucky swing the claw seems sharp enough to take out a predator's eye or two.
Martha Smith, owner and president of H.S. Seafood in San Pedro, was the first person to spot this highly unusual feature among a large batch of crabs brought in by a local fisherman, and right away she thought of the Aquarium. "I just knew it would be a conversation piece for all the kids coming in," said Smith.
And she was right. This curious crab with an extra claw is the talk of the town or rather the talk of the tank at CMA, with much speculation centering on the how and why of such a strange mutation.
According to Mike Schaadt, Director of CMA, there are two theories as to why a crab ends up with a third claw. Crabs have the ability to regenerate or grow back lost limbs and one theory is that "after losing a limb the regeneration mechanism of the crab went awry resulting in the unusual growth," explained Schaadt.
Perhaps the crab might have been attacked after molting when it was weakest. "Crabs are most vulnerable just after molting because their new exoskeleton is still very delicate," said Schaadt. "So another school of thought is that while the shell was very soft, the crab got into a fight, was injured, and while it was repairing itself, the injury recovered in a way that made the new claw." (This phenomenon was first identified by a German scientist in the early 1900s and he officially called it bruchdreifachbildungen.)
Whether it is a case of regeneration gone awry or an injury opting out of the standard healing process, the Aquarium welcomes X-Crab. Plan your next visit to the Aquarium soon and check out the crab with the mutant claw residing in Tank 13…it’s definitely not something you see every day.
Post Date: Friday, July 29, 2011
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