Spider Crabs

Spider Crab

Spider Crabs Libinia emarginata are scavengers. Although they are fearsome-looking, they are actually slow-moving, and their usual claws-out threat display is mostly bluff. Spider Crabs have relatively small round bodies (to 4"), long legs, and rather weak claws. They are found subtidally to at least 160 ft, on any type of bottom, and are very common in rivers and inlets. They often cover themselves with detritus for camouflage, and can also burrow in soft sediments.

A related species is used for food in Europe. The only thing more unattractive than a Spider Crab is two of them mating.

Spider Crab
A large adult Spider Crab
Spider Crab
Looks like one of those old Japanese monster movies, doesn't it?
Spider Crab
A baby Spider Crab, decorated with algae that it has stuck to itself for camouflage
Spider Crab
A small specimen trailing a veil of algae
Spider Crab
I'm not sure what these two spider crabs were doing, and I'm sure I don't want to know !
Herb Segars Photography

weight belt

Without a doubt, the one item of dive gear that more people complain about is their weight belt. These things are just plain uncomfortable, and more so for northern divers, who usually need extra weight to compensate for a thick wetsuit or drysuit. Weight belts are also tricky for beginners to set up, put on, and adjust properly, and are one of the greatest sources of difficulty that I have observed with students.

But there's a simple solution: get rid of it. With the plethora of weight-integrated BCs on the market today, there is simply no reason not to get a weight-integrated BC. Some of the excellent reasons to do this include:

Printed from njscuba.net