fashion designer extraordinaire
spider sweet spider crab
hiding in the sea
doesn’t need the thrift store
for its clothes like me.
such a skilled tailer
who cuts and measures
his apparel to wear
and hats to treasure.
he sheds his shell
only to create
another stylish suit
a fashion update.
his camo complete
the sponges speak “delight”
as spider sweet spider crab
wears his sponge shirt all night.
From The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Strangest Things in the World: A Book About Extraordinary Manifestations of Nature
“There are spider crabs which cut and wear clothes. They cut off pieces of living sponges and place them on their backs. These sponges become entangled in tiny hairs which protrude through the animal’s shell, and continue to grow until they protrude several inches over the back. Thin layers also cover the under part of the body and the legs. Every time a crab sheds its shell, it must make itself a new suit The practice probably is beneficial to both animals. The crab, living in a forest of sponges, looks like a sponge itself and is thus concealed from its enemies. The sponge benefits by being carried to new food sources. When the shell is shed the sponge simply attaches itself to a rock and continues to grow.”
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