What visual feature gives the Yeti Crab its evocative common name?

Answer

Its yellowish-white, hairy appearance

The common name 'Yeti Crab' is derived directly from its striking visual characteristics as observed upon discovery. The creature possesses a dense covering of bristles that, due to the thick microbial film coating them, give the crab an overall yellowish-white and fuzzy appearance. This hairy texture strongly resembles the mythical Yeti, leading to the adoption of this evocative moniker. This hairy appearance is intrinsically linked to its feeding strategy, as the 'hair' is the substrate for the chemosynthetic bacteria.

What visual feature gives the Yeti Crab its evocative common name?

#Videos

Yeti crab eating bacteria from its claws - YouTube

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