Hakai Magazine

menu

One Great Shot: Shy Harlequin

In the murky depths of the Philippines, a crab peeks out from its stinging hiding spot.

Authored by

by Henley Spiers

Article body copy

harlequin swimming crab hiding behind anemone tentacles

The ornately patterned harlequin swimming crab is tiny—smaller than a pinky finger—and lives in underwater landscapes of mostly sand and mud. In turbid waters, such as those of the Indo-Pacific, the tube-dwelling anemone has become the crab’s salvation from predation. But unfortunately for the crab, the anemone has a propensity to withdraw its tentacles when detecting sudden changes in light or movement, leaving the crab awkwardly exposed for several minutes. Lucky for me, the tentacles remained in place as I composed my photo. As my wife held a flashgun over the duo, I was able to spotlight the crab as it peeked out from the tentacles, leaving the rest of the sea in shadow.

Article footer and bottom matter

Cite this Article:

Cite this Article: Henley Spiers “One Great Shot: Shy Harlequin,” Hakai Magazine, Oct 10, 2019, accessed December 14th, 2024, https://hakaimagazine.com/videos-visuals/one-great-shot-shy-harlequin/.


Related Topics