Giant Australian Spider Crab 'Rebirths' After Shedding Shell

Storyful
4 年前

An underwater photographer captured the moment a giant spider crab moulted its shell while diving in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria.

In this footage shot by PT Hirschfield from Pink Tank Scuba, the crab sheds its exoskeleton — an essential process that allows it to grow and leaves it vulnerable to predators, such as stingrays.

According to the Victorian Fisheries Authority, spider crabs gather in Port Phillip Bay en masse in an annual moulting phenomenon. Credit: PT Hirschfield via Storyful