Researchers turn cameras on giant crabs

Researchers turn cameras on giant crabs
Scientists are hoping to use a deep sea camera to monitor giant crab populations on Tasmania's west coast.
Researchers have just returned from their first trip, filming in waters more than 500 metres deep off the continental shelf.
Caleb Gardner from the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute says the images gathered are the first of the crab in its natural habitat.
"We're very keen to see them doing ... any sort of behaviour really. We're keen to see perhaps courting or mating behaviour between males and females or animals wandering around with prey items in their claws," he said.
"We know they do wander around. If they are going to eat something they don't necessarily just eat it very quickly they wander around with it in their claws and we've seen that in tanks. So I was ... really hoping we would see something like that, but unfortunately no."
[via: http://www.growfish.com.au]