A team of scientists, led by Dr Joe Wilde, has been studying how male fiddler crabs respond when they see a fellow crab waving its impressive claws. To test this, they created a robot crustacean named Wavy Dave with an oversized claw. However, the experiment was cut short after Wavy Dave’s claw was ripped off by a male crab.
The researchers found that male crabs waved for longer when they saw Wavy Dave waving, but did not increase their speed. This suggests that the robot’s waving might be a signal to males that a female could be present, encouraging them to show off without actually laying eyes on her.
Dr Wilde expressed his excitement and heartbreak during the experiment, stating that seeing the crabs interact with Wavy Dave was a “dream come true.” The study revealed that male fiddler crabs adjust their behavior to compete in dynamic environments by investing more effort into signaling when it’s likely to be most profitable.
The researchers also found that female fiddler crabs seemed unsure about Wavy Dave, while some males tried to fight him or even pull off his claw. The experiment was abandoned after the attack, but Dr Wilde remains fascinated by the insights gained from studying the behavior of these crustaceans.
This research provides a new understanding of how animals adapt to competition in social contexts and highlights the complexity of their behavioral responses.
Source: https://www.iflscience.com/oh-no-wavy-dave-robot-crustacean-waves-at-fiddler-crabs-for-science-has-a-bad-time-80297