The journey from the edge of the deep water of the continental shelf to the Irish coast was just too much for one giant box crab. The crustacean died last Friday in the National Aquarium in Galway, days after he was caught by an Inishturk fisherman.
The rare giant box crab was hauled up in the nets of fisherman Michael O’Toole last Tuesday afternoon a mile off the stags of Inishbofin in approximately 70 metres of water. The species, rarely caught in Irish waters, normally lives in the great depths of the continental shelf, around 3,000 metres beneath the surface.
The ‘monster from the deep’ was taken to the National Aquarium in Salthill in Galway. However, it was unfortunately found dead in its tank on Friday morning.
Kevin O’Hara, Manager of the National Aquarium told The Mayo News that while they are not sure why the crab died, they believe that it may have been the stress of the journey from its natural habitat…….Mayo News……12/06/12…..read full article…
http://www.mayonews.ie/rare-giant-crab-caught-off-mayo-coast-dies-in-aquarium
