Periscopic Clowncrab

Ostrakonskelos periskopion, the hard-legged periscope. A social crab that shelters among stinging anemones.

1. Reduced body The clowncrab's single-segment body is an illusion. The multiple segments of other Protean arthropods are still present, nested inside. When the clowncrab molts, it sheds its internal shells through its digestive tract.

2. Regenerative eyestalk Enormous eyestalks mimic the surrounding anemones. If bitten off by a predator, each stalk is packed with unspecialized cells that quickly regenerate missing eyes. If the stalks grow too long, the clowncrab will trim them to avoid drawing attention.

3. Anemone tender The clowncrab provides a valuable service to sessile anemones by ranging out to forage, returning nutrients in its molt and waste. It also grooms the anemones to clean parasites and infections.

4. Fecund stalk The third stalk behind the eyes is a reproductive organ. The same unspecialized cells used to heal the eyestalks become eggs or sperm. Sperm is released into the seawater, while eggs are deposited among anemones.

Assessment: sign of a healthy anemone field.

Caught script hook in allocated memory for command >> generate-databank "Clowncrab" >> echo \memory-carve -signature=0xSEABEEF5 >> restore-remarks

Remark A. Centipede! I think the PDA got this thing's anatomy and reproduction completely wrong. I swear I've seen centipedes — a bunch of clowncrabs linked up in a train. I think they grow as a single, segmented organism and then each segment splits off into its own crab. And then maybe they hook up again later? It wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've seen. [metadata author=K. "Wander" Wangmo]