Facts about Yeti Crab

1. 07

   Approximately 150 individual yeti crabs were observed in the initial 2011 expedition, clustering densely around hydrothermal vent chimneys in their newly discovered habitat.

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2. 06

   Iron oxide deposits surrounding yeti crab colonies create the distinctive rusty appearance of their hydrothermal vent habitat, influencing the microorganism communities the crabs depend on.

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3. 05

   Unlike most crabs, yeti crabs are nearly blind, possessing only vestigial eye structures adapted to the perpetual darkness of deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.

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4. 04

   Yeti crabs measure approximately 6 inches in body length and inhabit the Kiwa hirsuta hydrothermal vent field located 900 kilometers south of Easter Island in the South Pacific Ocean.

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5. 03

   Kiwa hirsuta's claws contain colonies of filamentous bacteria that the crab likely farms as a food source, representing a unique symbiotic relationship among crustaceans.

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6. 02

   The yeti crab's scientific name, Kiwa hirsuta, references the Polynesian goddess Kiwa, reflecting its discovery in the South Pacific near hydrothermal vent ecosystems.

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7. 01

   Discovered in 2011 near hydrothermal vents south of Easter Island, the yeti crab displays silky setae covering its claws and legs at depths exceeding 2,200 meters.

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