Scientists released the morphology of the only species of Yeti crab known to reside in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica. The Yeti crab, also known as the "Hoff crab" named for U.S. actor David Hasselhoff, is famous for the bristles on its body that gives its fur-like appearance. Its existence provides insight on how marine species survive and flourish in the harsh, deep-sea environments.
Sven Thatje from the University of Southampton and his colleagues discovered the Yeti crab in 2010 when they captured its images using a remotely-operated submersible vehicle (ROV). They were also able to collect some specimens about 8,500 feet below the icy surface of Antarctica, according to LiveScience.
After years of research, the scientists gave it the scientific name Kiwa tyleri after the renowned British polar and deep-ocean biologist Paul Tyler from Southampton University.
The researchers found that the Yeti crab managed to sustain itself by growing its own food. It then uses its comb-like mouthparts to harvest the microbes and eat them.
"The entire belly of the crab is covered in setae that are designed to brush up and harbor bacteria on a large scale," Dr Thatje told BBC News.
It also survived the below zero-degree Celsius temperature of the ocean by living near the hydrothermal vents. The Yeti crabs stay in their warm water environment for their lifetime. Only the females move out time to time to release their eggs in the ocean.
"The Antarctic Yeti Crab is trapped in its warm-water hydrothermal vent site by the cold polar waters of the surrounding deep-sea. The species has adapted to this very limited sized habitat -- of a few cubique metres in volume -- by occurring in highly-packed densities and by relying on bacteria they grow on their fur-like setae for nutrition," Dr Thatje said in a press release.
Further details of the Yeti crab can be read on the June 24 issue of PLOS One.
