Candy Crush

Whether you’re packing poison, adept at lighting getaways or are simply bigger and stronger than everyone else, there are many ways of surviving in the unforgiving oceans. One tried and trusted method, however, is simply not to be seen in the first place, so the seas are full of masters of evasion, illusion and disguise.

One such expert is the striking Candy Crab (Hoplophrys oatesii), a brightly beautiful crustacean that only grows to a maximum of 2cms across and spends its time feeding on plankton and picking its way carefully across the reefs of the Indo-Pacific. While its vivid appearance might at first seem like a bad idea for a tiny crab that wants to go unnoticed, it makes far more sense considering that the Candy Crab’s home is itself a positive riot of colour.

Not only does the canny crustacean camouflage itself by mimicking the colours of the polyps among which it hides, it also adds further camouflage by snipping off clumps of surrounding polyps and attaching them to its own carapace. Its colours, therefore, depend on the colour of the coral and may vary from white to pink, yellow or red.