Doc's Nicola Toki introduces us to this week’s critter is the New Zealand pea crab. This crab lives inside bivalves like the NZ green lipped mussel, pipi and cockles where it steals their food. Only the male ventures out of the comfort of its hosts shell and that is to mate! Interestingly, to gain access to shells containing female crabs, the males tickle the side of the mussel shell for an average of 200 minutes until it opens and they slip inside – risky business!
Female (L) and male pea crabs Photo: Credit Jessica87nz CC BY-SA 3
