Tiny Crabs Steal Anemones, Split Them Into Clones

Crabs in the genus Lybia have a remarkable habit: they hold a sea anemone in each of their claws by means of delicate hooks. This behavior has earned them the nicknames ‘boxer’ or ‘pom-pom’ crab.In a new study, researchers showed that when these crabs are lacking an anemone, they will fight to steal one from another crab. Then each crab splits their single anemone into two, creating identical clones, one for each claw.Read more about this unique crab-anemone relationship in my latest for National Geographic's Weird & Wild news: Watch 'Pom Pom' Crabs Fight With Anemone-Tipped Claws.