Wake Up! A New Nonbinary Crab Just Dropped
This week, the creators behind the simulation, or God, or whatever you want to call it, have blessed us with a rare freshwater crab that's both male and female. Hallelujah!
Crabs are some of the most fucked up little specimens on this Earth, and I mean that with deep affection. So anytime some crab news hits my orbit, I’m tuning in. This week, the creators behind the simulation, or God, or whatever you want to call it, have blessed us with a new crab! Hallelujah!
In a recent study published in the zoology journal Crustaceana, scientists working in Silent Valley National Park reported a new variety of the crab that exhibits both male and female traits. Our new crab friends, of the species Vela carli, are freshwater dwellers that hang out in the streams of the Western Ghats in India. Out of the specimens studied, three exhibited gynandromorphy, something never before documented in freshwater crabs!!!!
“The bodies of the crabs displayed male reproductive structures, while other parts showcased female features, including gonopores,” researchers told The Hindu. FYI, gonopores are the genital openings of invertebrates. I have to know, so now you do too!
The rare phenomenon of gynandromorphy is more commonly seen in birds and insects, like this stunning butterfly with asymmetrical wings or this iconic nonbinary cardinal whose plumage is divided by a red stripe down the middle.
What do you think–could these new gynandromorphs break into the rankings for best crabs? Are they as legendary as horseshoe crabs? As effervescent as Harlequin crabs? Or how about the classic and timeless red crab? I think these dual-sex Vela Carli’s could definitely make it into the top 5. Just look at how gorgeous they are!
A tiny crab displaying both male and female biological traits on the same body has been discovered in the Western Ghats. Discovered from the forests of the Silent Valley National Park, this freshwater crab belongs to the species Vela carli and is both male and female at the same… pic.twitter.com/e4Glj4KvjM
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) March 17, 2026
Maybe millions of years from now, after humans are long gone and the world has finally experienced peace, these nonbinary crabs will rise up and take over the world. Just one gal’s prediction.
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