2608XX-Suetsugu-Crabs-Crab (IMAGE)
Caption
Scientists have been wondering who disperses the seeds of Balanophoraceae, a family of parasitic plants growing in the shaded and windless understories of Japanese tropical forests. In his newest study, Kobe University botanist SUETSUGU Kenji provides “the first empirical evidence that hermit crabs can function as both external and internal seed dispersers.” Pictured above is Coenobita brevimanus scraping off the fruits of Balanophora fungosa.
Credit
SUETSUGU Kenji
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Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY