Male blue crabs lose their reproductive function and develop ovarian tissue due to a notorious and cruel parasite.
Crab infected with the parasite Sacculina carcini.
Sacculina carcini is known as one of the “most cruel gender-bending doctors” in the animal kingdom.
Sacculina carcini is a ruthless parasitic species that specifically targets crabs, particularly blue crabs in Europe. Once it attaches to the crab’s carapace, its larvae inject a substance called vermigon into the crab’s bloodstream, developing into a parasite. These parasites not only siphon nutrients from the crab but also attach themselves to the nervous system to control the crab’s behavior.
They cause significant physiological changes, including the transformation of male crabs into females. Infected crabs cannot molt, and male crabs lose their reproductive organs and develop ovarian tissue.
The parasite lays its eggs in a sac attached to the crab’s abdomen, and the male crabs are manipulated to protect and care for the parasitic eggs as if they were their own offspring. This poses a serious risk to crab populations and negatively impacts humans.
