The bacteria farming yeti crab

Snow white and covered in hair, the aptly named yeti crab, is the first crustacean ever discovered that actually grows it’s own food.

This bizarre creature doesn’t follow traditional farming techniques, using a patch of fertile ocean floor to grow its wares. Instead, the yeti crab cultivates bacteria-based suppers on its vast, hairy claws.

An international team led by Dr Andrew Thurber at Oregon State University, US, who in fact discovered Kiwa puravida (the species in which this behaviour was recorded), witnessed the crabs waving their furry claws over jets of methane gas escaping from the ocean floor.

The team discovered that the claws were covered in symbiotic bacteria that the crabs were eating using a comb-like structure in the mouth, and, after a chemical analysis of the animal’s diet, researchers found that these bacteria constituted the majority of their diet. On top of this, the crabs had not been observed scavenging food, a trait found in many other species.

Taking all this into account, the team deduced that by waving their claws over the vents the crabs were essentially fertilising their crops. The methane gas being released was providing the bacteria with the energy it needed to survive.