Red crab clings to marine iguana’s neck in Galápagos grooming encounter
Wildlife photographer Dale Morris captured a marine iguana on Fernandina Island in the Galápagos with a bright red Sally Lightfoot crab clinging to its neck, making it look as though the lizard was wearing a bowtie. The unusual-looking encounter reflects a practical relationship between the animals rather than a conflict.
Morris also photographed three crabs on an iguana as a wave washed over them. Marine iguanas, found only in the Galápagos, feed on seaweed; Sally Lightfoot crabs scavenge around the islands and help clean the reptiles’ scales, gaining food while the iguanas receive a kind of natural grooming.
In short
- A red crab appeared to be an iguana’s bowtie.
- Photographer Dale Morris spotted the scene on Fernandina Island.
- The crabs clean iguanas’ scales and feed as they do so.
Explained simply
The Galápagos are a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific, best known for wildlife found nowhere else. Marine iguanas live there and feed on seaweed, often diving into the sea to find it.
Sally Lightfoot crabs live along the islands’ shores, where they scavenge for food. They may pick food and debris from iguanas’ scales, gaining a meal while helping clean the reptiles.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Sight of the iguana: Lizard cuts a dash and strikes a pose while wearing a wandering crab like a bowtie”.