“It’s like a cross between a frog, a scorpion, and a lion fish …”
Published on Nov 29, 2023 at 11:40 AM
On a recent walk along the rocky shore of Queensland, Australia, Richard Conrad saw something that stopped him in his tracks. There was a bright-colored, multi-legged visitor patrolling the rocks nearby. Eager to get a picture, Conrad grabbed his phone and took a quick snapshot.
Since he’d taken the photo from a distance, Conrad cropped the image and zoomed in on his subject. Amused by the shoddy result, Conrad posted it in the Crap Wildlife Photography Facebook group, where group members soon saw it and were, well, confused.
“It’s like a cross between a frog, a scorpion, and a lion fish,” one member wrote in the photo’s comment section. “With a duck riding on its back.”
It turns out, the animal wasn’t a frog, scorpion, lionfish or a duck. The mysterious rock-dweller was, in fact, a colorful rock crab, a crustacean native to various parts of Australia’s coast.
“Rock crabs are common on rocky headlands here,” Conrad told The Dodo. “They are very shy and hide if they see you approach.”
Here’s a less-zoomed photo, if you want a better idea of what the crab Conrad saw actually looked like:
And here’s a video of a rock crab, if you’re still having trouble picturing them:
According to the Australian Museum, rock crabs are best known for their huge claws, which they use to catch their prey. A rock crab’s tough shell can vary in color, and will change throughout different stages of his life.
Conrad is happy that his confusing crab photo brought a bit of joy and mystery to so many Facebook users.
“Crap Wildlife Photography is all about just having fun and enjoying reading all the silly comments,” Conrad said.