Page 5 - IAV Digital Magazine #531

Fisherman Catches
‘Ultra-rare' Crab That
Looks Like A Pastry
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
By Michael
Hollan | Fox News
That’s one deli- cious-looking crab.
A fisherman caught a rare
crab off the coast of England that has a unique look to it. From some anglesIan Jepson caught a rare type of crab that locals have nicknamed the "sponge-coat- ed" crab during a trip off the coast of Cornwall, Southwest News Service (SWNS) reports. He was about six miles off the coast when the creature was first spotted., the animal’s shell coating makes it look less like a sea creature and more like a pastry dish.
"We do get a few weird things now and again and it is great to see. It certainly makes the day more enjoyable out here," Jepson explained to
SWNS. "We caught it six miles off Perranporth and were delight- ed. You don't see them often, so it was lovely to see. Afterwards we carefully and slow- ly returned it so the sponge remained on its back"
According to Jepson, the crabs carve out a piece of sponge and fit it over their backs. From the right angle, the animal looks like a baked pastry. Jepson compared it to a local dish, called a pasty, which is a baked pastry filled with meats and vegetables.
While these types
of crabs are gen- erally rare, Jepson says that he’s seen an uptick in sightings recently.
"I’m not too sure if they are actually called sponge crabs, but we have always called them that," Jepson said. "They seem to carve out a piece of sponge which is loose fitting on their backs. We only usually get one every year or two, but this sum- mer we have had five already. I don't know if the increase is down to global warming, but I am now try- ing to find out how far they have spread."
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine