Orangutans in Gorontalo

Indonesia is famous for its orangutans in the jungles of Sumatra and Kalimantan. But Indonesian waters are the habitat of a special type of decorator crab, Achaeus japonicus. Commonly called Orangutan crab, this marine crab has long hairs on its body to which it attaches small particles, often filamentous algae. With its disguise complete, only its eyes remain uncovered. In Gorontalo we have found it on bubble coral, as in the picture from the Sentinels dive site. On a single dive this season we found one at 40 meters on the tanker wreck and another one on the coral wall above. Both were draped in the folds of bubble coral. Last week we found at least four.