Visitors to Hastings’s Blue Reef Aquarium will be able to enjoy some close encounters with a variety of weird and wonderful crabs and lobsters as part of their ‘Claws – Incredible Crustaceans’ May Half Term event (May 25th – 31st)
From comical cleaner shrimps to mighty lobsters, this exciting event offers a fascinating insight into the incredible world of crustaceans.
Among the star attractions on display will be spiky spider crabs, giant lobsters and the extraordinary mantis peacock shrimp, whose specially-adapted front claw can deliver a devastating knockout blow with the equivalent force of a .22 calibre bullet.
Blue Reef’s Leanna Lawson said: “Our crabs and lobsters are always extremely popular with visitors and this week long event provides the perfect opportunity to let people find out more about crustaceans in general.”
As well as regular talks & activities throughout the day, visitors will also be able to follow the ‘Claws Quiz’ to discover more about some of the marine world’s most incredible creatures.
Crustaceans are jointed-legged animals whose bodies are usually covered with a hard exoskeleton – Crabs, lobsters, shrimps and prawns are all crustaceans.
They are found from the icy waters of the Arctic and Antarctic to the tropical seas of the equator. In fact crustaceans are so widespread scientists have compared them to insects on land.
Their size ranges from tiny creatures that could fit on a pinhead to true giants of the deep with three-metre claw spans!