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Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have discovered a baby crab. They have posted a video of the little ocean dweller sitting on the scientist's palm.
The tiny crustacean has captured hearts online, with the video going viral on social media, garnering over 10 million views. on the NOAA Fisheries page in the X network.
Scientists found the crab in the Gulf of Mexico during a study where they were collecting samples of mesophotic and deep-sea coral species for laboratory cultivation and propagation.
"This is the cutest, spiciest, tiniest crab in the world!" the scientists captioned their post.
This species of crab is found in various regions, mainly in the waters of Central and South America, including the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and lives at depths of 200 to 2000 meters underwater. According to scientists, the small crab was brought to the surface in a plastic bag that was lifted from the seabed during an expedition in August 2024.
As seen in the video, it has a tough, spiny shell typical of king crabs, which helps it avoid predation by hungry deep-sea creatures, write newsweek.
The largest specimen of this species had a shell measuring 11,6 centimeters in diameter and 12,2 centimeters in length, not including the legs. So the crab in the video is far from life-size.
