NationStates Jolt Archive

This is just ... wierd!



http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/8129/gendercrab22py.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


June 16, 2005—This extremely rare type of crab pulled from the Chesapeake Bay last month does not know whether it is Arthur or Martha.
It was the blue claw that caught waterman David Johnson's eye when he pulled his crab pot from the waters off Gwynn's Island on May 21. Crabbers know that male crabs have blue claws and that they are uncommon in the mainstream of the U.S.'s largest estuary at this time of year.

But then Johnson saw the red claw and other characteristics of female crabs. How can a crab have both a female claw and a male claw? In his 25 years on the water Johnson had never seen anything like it. He called in the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) for help.

VIMS crab expert Rom Lipcius scoured the literature and found a report of a crab that was caught near Smith's Island in 1979. It too was split down the middle—one half male the other half female. It's a phenomenon known as bilateral gynandromorphy, and it's been observed in butterflies, moths, and lobsters. Each half has all the characteristics of its gender, right down to divided reproductive organs. It's caused when the two halves develop separately due to a genetic error early in the process of cell division.

Little is known about the sexual development and breeding behavior of blue crabs, so scientists are studying the crab to see what they can learn from it. The Washington Post reported today that the crab, alive and well in a VIMS aquarium, has been named Springer. "The watermen thought it was strange enough to be on The Jerry Springer Show," the newspaper reported.

—David Braun

Har, you know the best thing about it? it has the sexual identity of both male and female! it was left in with a female crab, and it was shown to have made crablike advances towards it. They left it in peace. The next day, it ate her.

Female crabs eat other females, whilst guy crabs.... do guy things. :D and it done both.

What's that Venus slogan? Strong enough for a man but made for a woman? Yeah sounds like the case...kinda.

Teehee :fluffle:

So, it's a genderqueer crab, is it?

I can see the sides forming now: On the right, protesters are demanding that the government outlaw these abominations of nature. On the left, protesters are demanding that the government protect the rights of these poor persecuted creatures. In the center, the Congressional cafeteria is serving deviled crab for lunch.

:p

talk about a split personality!

And you thought YOU had sexual issues!

Actually, no, I never did.. or have. ;)

It's my long lost crab cousin!

http://www.badmovies.de/graphics/glen_or_glenda_original.jpg

Har, you know the best thing about it? it has the sexual identity of both male and female! it was left in with a female crab, and it was shown to have made crablike advances towards it. They left it in peace. The next day, it ate her.

Female crabs eat other females, whilst guy crabs.... do guy things. :D and it done both.
That's not all that unusual. I've been known to do ... both to my female friends! :D

So, it's a genderqueer crab, is it?

I can see the sides forming now: On the right, protesters are demanding that the government outlaw these abominations of nature. On the left, protesters are demanding that the government protect the rights of these poor persecuted creatures. In the center, the Congressional cafeteria is serving deviled crab for lunch.

:p
OMG! As if there weren't enough "issues" to go around already! Groan! Heh!

It puts me in mind of a story I'd heard several years ago about crabs and crab fishermen off the coast (IIRC) of Japan. The fishermen would occasionally encounter a crab whose carapace had markings and mouldings which at a glance, bore an eerie resemblance to a human face. eerie enough that they routinely threw these oddities back into the sea.
Fast forward to the current day, and this variety of crab has, through this unintentional arificially-enduced selective breeding program, evolved ever more and more human 'face-like' features on their carapaces.

It's a little bit of evolution in action. Sorry, wish I had either a link to substantiate this tale, or at least an oddball pic to post. But sadly, I have neither, stemming as this story does, from the forgotten, bleak pre-internet days of yore.

Har, you know the best thing about it? it has the sexual identity of both male and female! it was left in with a female crab, and it was shown to have made crablike advances towards it. They left it in peace. The next day, it ate her.

Not the best first date ever, you pick up a genderqueer and end up getting scoffed down for breakfast. Granted I have had worse...

Are you saying I'm a man that's actually a woman on the inside?

Har, you know the best thing about it? it has the sexual identity of both male and female! it was left in with a female crab, and it was shown to have made crablike advances towards it. They left it in peace. The next day, it ate her.

Female crabs eat other females, whilst guy crabs.... do guy things. :D and it done both.

at least you don't pay for dinner

OMG! As if there weren't enough "issues" to go around already! Groan! Heh!

Now, this was just too promising to pass up. Issue has been submitted; now let's see if it passes the mods.

Sample text (using crabs as the national animal):
"Think of it! An army of giant mutant bisexual crabs! No one will dare invade us then! We'll be invincible!"

:p

That's really interesting from my scientific point of view!

This thread completely freaked me out. Just before I went to bed last night I ordered a half bushel of Blue Crab from Maryland to be delivered here in Phoenix, AZ. I've been looking forward to them joyously, and now someone posts pictures of some mutant blue. What are the odds? My precious crabs arrive tomorrow. If they are deformed in some sort of sexually bizarre way, I will blame Eutrusca.

Where's the intelligent design on this one?

This thread completely freaked me out. Just before I went to bed last night I ordered a half bushel of Blue Crab from Maryland to be delivered here in Phoenix, AZ. I've been looking forward to them joyously, and now someone posts pictures of some mutant blue. What are the odds? My precious crabs arrive tomorrow. If they are deformed in some sort of sexually bizarre way, I will blame Eutrusca.
Why not? Hell, everyone to the left of John McCain blames me for Iraq, the National Debt and global warming, why not you? :D

This is just ... wierd!



http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/8129/gendercrab22py.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


June 16, 2005—This extremely rare type of crab pulled from the Chesapeake Bay last month does not know whether it is Arthur or Martha.
It was the blue claw that caught waterman David Johnson's eye when he pulled his crab pot from the waters off Gwynn's Island on May 21. Crabbers know that male crabs have blue claws and that they are uncommon in the mainstream of the U.S.'s largest estuary at this time of year.

But then Johnson saw the red claw and other characteristics of female crabs. How can a crab have both a female claw and a male claw? In his 25 years on the water Johnson had never seen anything like it. He called in the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) for help.

VIMS crab expert Rom Lipcius scoured the literature and found a report of a crab that was caught near Smith's Island in 1979. It too was split down the middle—one half male the other half female. It's a phenomenon known as bilateral gynandromorphy, and it's been observed in butterflies, moths, and lobsters. Each half has all the characteristics of its gender, right down to divided reproductive organs. It's caused when the two halves develop separately due to a genetic error early in the process of cell division.

Little is known about the sexual development and breeding behavior of blue crabs, so scientists are studying the crab to see what they can learn from it. The Washington Post reported today that the crab, alive and well in a VIMS aquarium, has been named Springer. "The watermen thought it was strange enough to be on The Jerry Springer Show," the newspaper reported.

—David Braun

Gynandromorphy eh?
Finally my preference has a name: Gynandromorphophilia!!!

Haha cool...although Eut's title gave me a laugh.

Haha cool...although Eut's title gave me a laugh.

a-ha! yeah, it's almost ironic, really...