‘Herman’ the crab legs it into history books
RARE BISEXUAL CRAB FOUND BY FISHERMAN IS SENT FOR TESTING
One of the world’s rarest sea creatures, a hermaphrodite crab, has been found off the Rosslare coast.
Shellfisherman James Walsh was fishing on his vessel, My Sophie, when he made the unusual discovery. He contacted local conservationist and Irish Whale and Dolphin Strandings Group member Kevin Mac Cormick who explained that he had a live, mutated bisexual crab on his boat.
Kevin said: ‘James had retrieved this specimen and immediately recognised that he had something quite odd. He fishes for spider crabs, lobsters and velvet crabs which are sold to Spain. The claws are used for delicious white crab meat and the bodies are used for bait, but this one won’t be!’
Kevin was so intrigued by this rarity that he took some pictures and sent them off to scientific experts within the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group who began to research the unusual phenomenon online.
Meanwhile ‘Herman’, as he was christened, was isolated and kept alive over the May bank holiday weekend prior to being sent to Dublin.
Research revealed that Herman had symptoms of gynandromorphism – a condition which occurs when an egg splits into two and develops both male and female characteristics. ‘Gynandromorphism in Cetapods (order of crustaceans) is quite rare and there are only a few recorded in Irish waters and they are on display in National Museum of Ireland. Most notably, this condition occurs in butterflies, moths and other insects but extremely rare in crustaceans. This is a first in Ireland for this species.’
Kevin said: ‘It’s a shemale. It’s the first discovery of its kind ever in Ireland. It’s a spider crab, but its sex is exactly split down the middle. It’s highly unlikely it could ever breed. I’m surprised it’s survived as long as it has. It is two [colour] tones underneath where you can see the dual sex organs. It’s a freak of nature!’
Kevin said global warming of contaminants in the water could have led to the mutation. The specimen is being studied Declan Quigley, senior Port Manger of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority in Howth, where it will be scrutinised and his likely to one day go on display in the National Museum.