The American novelist S. E. Hinton once said, If you have two friends in your lifetime, youre lucky. If you have one good friend, youre more than lucky. By that logic, boxer crabs are the luckiest creatures alive because they can turn one good friend into two by tearing it in half.
These tiny, inch-long crabs carry sea anemones, holding them in place with special hooks on the inner edges of their claws. With their crowns of wavy tentacles, the anemones look like pom-poms, and the crabs like cheerleaders. But those tentacles also pack powerful stings, and a quick jab from them is often enough to ward off an attacking fish. Hence the name: boxer crabs.
Most crabs gather food with their powerful claws, but boxer crabs have adapted so thoroughly to holding anemones that their claws are now feeble, delicate tweezers rather than powerful, crushing pincers. Instead, they rely on their anemones. Some species use the anemones like cutlery, dabbing them onto morsels of food and then bringing them over to their mouths. Others wait for the anemones to passively ensnare food, which they then scrape into their mouths with their front legs. If you remove the anemones, as Yisrael Schnytzer and his colleagues from Bar Ilan University have repeatedly done, the crabs struggle to gather enough to eat.
The anemones, however, flourish apart from the crabs. When Schnytzer freed them from the crabs grasp, their colors got brighter, their tentacles became longer, and they more than doubled in size. Left to their own devices, they can grow far bigger than the crabs that once held them. In the words of Schnytzers colleague Ilan Karplus, the crabs cultivate Bonsai anemones, deliberately stunting their growth to keep them at a manageable size.
But how do the crabs get their anemones in the first place? In 1905, zoologist James Edwin Duerden, in what remains the most thorough account of boxer crab habits, noticed a clue. He wrote that there appeared to be evidence that these crabs will tear a single anemone in two to provide one for each claw. Karplus saw similar signs a few decades ago. He noticed that if he took away one of a crabs two anemones, and came back a few days later, it would once again have two anemonesalbeit smaller ones.
He and Schnytzer have now caught several crabs in the act of dividing their partners. It takes around 20 minutes, and the technique is simple: The crab grabs the anemone in both claws, stretches it outwards, and uses its legs to slice through the middle. And since anemones can regenerate their bodies, each half eventually became a complete animal in its own right. The crab, by bisecting its partner, also clones it.
This explains why wild boxer crabs, even very young ones, almost always have two anemones. As long as a crab can get is claws on one, it can easily make a second. And if it has none at all, as Schnytzer found, it can steal a fragment from another crab. Its remarkable that these anemones are such a crucial commodity that small, juvenile crabs will actually initiate fights with larger crabs to steal their anemonesand will often win, says Kristin Hultgren from Seattle University.
These kinds of fights must happen a lot in the wild. The particular species of boxer crab that Schnytzer studied carries a species of sea anemone that has never been seen on its own in the wild. And yet the crabs always have them, so maybe they all steal them from one another.
Is this how the anemones reproduce? Perhaps partly. But they seem to fall into at least three distinct genetic lineages, and if they only reproduced by crab-cloning, the entire population would be genetically identical. That suggests the anemones do reproduce on their own, Schnytzer says. You can imagine that they could release sperm and eggs into the water, and still breed [while] being held by the crabs.
It seems that the anemonestheir food stolen, their growth stunted, and their bodies regularly torn in twoget very little out of their co-existence with the crabs. Then again, weve never found them free-living, says Schnytzer. If they cant manage on their own, presumably they need the crabs for something.
Randy Brooks from Florida Atlantic University, who has studied the relationships between sea anemones and other animals, says that some species are only found on the shells of hermit crabs. Those anemones, Brooks found, are capable of reproducing by splitting themselves in half, so perhaps the boxers are only accelerating a process that their anemone partners would naturally undergo. I've always wished I could work with the boxer crabs, Brooks says.
Read the rest here:
This Crab Clones Its Allies by Ripping Them in Half - The Atlantic
- What is Cloning? - Learn Genetics [Last Updated On: December 12th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 12th, 2016]
- Pros and Cons of Cloning - Buzzle [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2016]
- Cloning/Embryonic Stem Cells - National Human Genome Research ... [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2016]
- Is human cloning wrong? | Debate.org [Last Updated On: December 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 25th, 2016]
- Cloning - Science Daily [Last Updated On: December 29th, 2016] [Originally Added On: December 29th, 2016]
- Cloning - The New York Times [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2017]
- Mammoth - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: January 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 24th, 2017]
- Molecular Cloning: Basics and Applications | Protocol [Last Updated On: January 25th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 25th, 2017]
- Beware Of 'Facebook Cloning' | 9news.com - 9NEWS.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Facebook scam lets hackers clone your account and STEAL money ... - Express.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Beware of 'Facebook Cloning' | KGW.com - kgw.com [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Beware of Facebook 'cloning' scam - USA TODAY [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Facebook cloning debunked - The i newspaper online iNews - iNews [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Don't fall for this Facebook cloning scam | WFLA.com - WFLA [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- 20 years after Dolly the sheep, human cloning is no closer - Genetic Literacy Project [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Don't fall for this Facebook cloning scam | WDTN - WDTN [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Boffins create quantum cloning machine to intercept 'secure' messages - The INQUIRER [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Hair Cloning & Multiplication | Bernstein Medical [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Crustacean Cloning - ScienceBlog.com (blog) [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Watch out for this crazy Facebook cloning scam! - Komando [Last Updated On: February 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 8th, 2017]
- Steve Bannon's Unproduced Movie About Cloning, Nazis, and Walt Disney Sounds Nuts - Gizmodo India [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Quantum Cloning Machine Reveals Clues That Could Protect Against Hacking - Photonics.com [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Steve Bannon wanted to make a movie about cloning, abortion, and Nazis with Mel Gibson - A.V. Club (blog) [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Police investigating recent reports of credit card cloning in Aiken ... - Aiken Standard [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Steve Bannon's Unproduced Movie About Cloning, Nazis, and Walt ... - Gizmodo [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Phone cloning - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Gang arrested for cloning debit cards, stealing money - The Hindu - The Hindu [Last Updated On: February 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 11th, 2017]
- Drive cloning in Windows 10 with free tools - Computerworld [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Cloning - The Hastings Center [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Scientists Are Close to Cloning a Woolly Mammoth - Popular Mechanics [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2017]
- Antiquities Minister inaugurates first Pharaonic cloning center in Luxor - Egypt Independent [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- 20 years after Dolly: Everything you always wanted to know about ... - Source [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2017]
- 20 years after Dolly: Everything you always wanted to know about the cloned sheep and what came next - New Delhi Times [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- 20 years after Dolly: Everything you always wanted to know about ... - The Conversation US [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- Must reads: Populism, sexism, cloning, and rudeness - GlobalComment.com [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- More lessons from Dolly the sheepis a clone really born at age ... - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 20th, 2017]
- 15 Animals That Have Been Successfully Cloned by Scientists - Interesting Engineering [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2017]
- Facebook does it again. WhatsApp launches revamped Status, cloning Snapchat - Catch News [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- It's Been 20 Years Since We Cloned A Sheep. Why Haven't We Done The Same With Humans? - GOOD Magazine [Last Updated On: February 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 22nd, 2017]
- Reviving woolly mammoths will take more than two years - BBC News [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- 20 years after Dolly the sheep's debut, Americans remain skeptical of cloning - Pew Research Center [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2017]
- Another cloning success shows technology being used by everyday graziers - ABC Online [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- 20 Years After Dolly, Where Are We With Cloning? - Inverse [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- Pabrai And The Shameless Cloning Portfolio - Seeking Alpha [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- As Clone Conspiracy Ends, the Fates of Two Major Spider-Man Villains Are Revealed - Gizmodo [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- 20 years after Dolly the sheep, potential of cloning remains unclear - CNN [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2017]
- More lessons from Dolly the sheep: Is a clone really born at age zero ... - Salon [Last Updated On: February 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 27th, 2017]
- 20th Anniversary of Dolly the Cloned Sheep | Men's Health - Men's Health [Last Updated On: February 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 28th, 2017]
- The Angels had two No. 97s on the basepaths, may be cloning their players - MLB.com [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2017]
- 20 Years After Dolly: Cloning Past, Present and Future - KQED [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- Facts About Cloning - Live Science [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- Is Max cloning Tracey the barmaid to take over Walford in ... - Metro - Metro [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2017]
- We know Dolly the sheep was cloned 20 years ago, but how old was she at birth? - Washington Post [Last Updated On: March 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 3rd, 2017]
- 'Miracle of nature' Scientists a step closer to HUMAN CLONING after creating mouse embryos - Express.co.uk [Last Updated On: March 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 3rd, 2017]
- Waxhaw police: Man charged with credit card cloning - WSOC Charlotte [Last Updated On: March 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 4th, 2017]
- Facebook gives zero fucks about cloning Snapchat, adds geostickers in Instagram - TNW [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2017]
- This man is cloning old-growth redwoods and planting them in safe places (video) - Treehugger [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2017]
- Police warn of criminals cloning credit cards using stolen information - ABC Action News [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2017]
- Hard drive imaging vs. cloning: What's the difference? - Windows Central [Last Updated On: March 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: March 11th, 2017]
- Cloning Your VS 2017 Packages - Microsoft - Channel 9 (blog) [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- Hair Cloning is Happening - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- Woodbury Police Need Your Help In Credit Card Cloning Case - Patch - Patch.com [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- Reasons Against Cloning - VIDEOS & ARTICLES [Last Updated On: April 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: April 8th, 2017]
- B.o.B Talks Conspiracy Theories About 9/11, Snapchat, Cloning, Chemtrails, The Illuminati & More (VIDEO) - AllHipHop (blog) [Last Updated On: June 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 6th, 2017]
- International grifter gets 5 years in prison for Denver credit card cloning scam - The Denver Post [Last Updated On: June 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 6th, 2017]
- Send in the clones: Orphan Black, TV's smartest show, is back - The Guardian [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Sorry, 'Jurassic Park' fans: Scientists say dinosaur cloning probably isn't going to happen - Travel+Leisure [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Preparing winemakers for climate change through cloning - ABC Online [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Skimming, cloning become popular in Tulsa - KRMG [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Five Rules For Successful Marijuana Cloning [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Cloning Grapes Will Save Australian Wine - National Geographic Australia [Last Updated On: June 8th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 8th, 2017]
- Hackers caught cloning activist Twitter accounts to spread fake news - The Independent [Last Updated On: June 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 9th, 2017]
- Cloning Yourself in Photos or Videos - Fstoppers [Last Updated On: June 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 11th, 2017]
- Cloning to the rescue - New Scientist [Last Updated On: June 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 14th, 2017]
- Cloning To Revive Abaco Wild Horses - Bahamas Tribune [Last Updated On: June 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 17th, 2017]
- How Close Are We to Successfully Cloning the First Human? - Futurism [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2017]
- Magnified: Cloning - The Hawk Eye (blog) [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2017]
- Puppies cloned from ears arrive in Russia for genetic research ... - RT [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2017]
- Three waiters arrested in Mumbai for fraud and cloning ATM cards ... - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2017]
- This powerful new tool for cloning genes could speed up drug discovery - Boston Business Journal [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2017]