Cryptic Teardrop Crab
Continuing my look back through some of my underwater work, and scanning new images – I came across these images of Cryptic Teardrop Crabs. These little crabs are about the size of your fingernail, and generally only come out at night. Both of these photographs are from a night dive in Bonaire, a southern Caribbean island. These crabs collect bits of sponge and place them all around their bodies to act as camouflage. They cover themselves so much that it can be hard to distinguish exactly what they are until you see one crawling over something.
Cryptic Teardrop crab
I suppose that works much better when they are on similar colored backgrounds – because I think these images here reveal they are anything BUT blending in. :-) Perhaps being nighttime gives them a little more reassurance that their predators are sleeping and they get a little more gutsy on these isolating backgrounds.
Macro photography underwater can be quite overwhelming because there are so many little subjects to be found. Both photographed using a Nikon F100 35mm camera in an Aquatica housing, Fuji Velvia 50 film.
Those are cool!
It sure is a whole different world down there.
These are excellent, Mark!
Excellent work. That is one area of photography that I have never tried.
Very nice…first time here. I’ll be back for more.
night dives are great for all those little shy critters like crabs & shrimp. I dont do as many night dives as I should really. My buddy doesnt like to night dive & I dont really like to break a new buddy in at night so I usually end up not doing any. Its harder to hold camera & torch too
Nice photos, thanks for sharing.
OMG really nice pictures I love how the color look and how the things go so nice, congratulations !!!
Since I think that macro photography has its challenges in daylight and on solid ground, I can’t imagine how challenging it must have been to get these photos. Amazing work.
Just amazing…
The bright colors are amazing and the technical requirements to get these great photos are impressive.
Amazing pictures and amazing creature! It would be great to see something like that with my own eyes but I guess I would not even noticed that this crab is close to me. I had no idea that crabs could be so small! Very interesting post. Pity that those animals are showing themselves only at night. It would be great to see them in natural light.
Very cool…I especially like the second one as it has a very abstract feel to it….all this and you dive too!
Well at least you don’t have to worry about the wind down there Mark
Wonderful work !!
Thanks Bernie. No wind, but how about current and surge?!
The pictures are amazing and the color vivid.
They don’t scurry away when you shine light on them? Amzing shots. What a treat to see these critters!