World Report: March 17, 2006 Vol. 11 Iss. 21
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
Found: A Very Hairy Crab
Scientists revealed last week that they have discovered a new species of crustacean. The crab is covered in blond fur. It was captured by a joint U.S.-French team in 7,540-feet-deep waters just south of Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean. This shellfish, like some other weird ocean creatures, lives near a hydrothermal vent. That's a spot where water heated by molten rock beneath the earth's surface shoots out of the ocean floor.
The creature's scientific name is Kiwa hirsuta. Kiwa comes from the name of the Polynesian goddess of shellfish. Hirsuta means "hairy." Scientists nicknamed it Yeti, after the abominable snow-man, for the hair covering its legs.
"This is a very rare find," Joe Jones, a research technician on the team, told TFK. "It is just another example of how little we know about the ocean."
