Baby crays are a species of cray-fish that’s a fixture of aquariums around the world, but some research suggests they may also be part of your home.
In a study conducted at the University of California, Irvine, researchers discovered that baby cays don a number of traits that indicate they might be part, or even the majority, of your marine environment.
The cray are a relatively small species, with an estimated adult size of only 3-5 mm (0.8-0.9 inches) and can live up to 30 years in captivity.
They also have an extremely low metabolic rate, which means that when they’re in the water they aren’t producing much oxygen, which is why they can survive long periods of time underwater.
The researchers also found that baby coral can exhibit a number in terms of behavior, and that they prefer to spend time underwater with their mothers, rather than with other marine animals.
When a cray was placed in the aquarium of a group of male and female cays, the cray were able to spend more time underwater together, even when the females weren’t in the tank.
When the researchers placed the baby crashers in the same group of female crasher craschers, they also saw a change in behavior.
When a female crasher was placed with a male, they spent more time together, including more time at the bottom of the tank, according to a news release.
The study also found the baby cay could be exposed to certain chemicals, including those that are commonly found in aquariums, such as calcium and phosphate.
While this is all great news for the little cray, the researchers also noticed that some of the baby corals didn’t seem to be interested in the presence of these chemicals, but instead preferred to play in the dark.
“It was interesting that some cays seem to prefer to be with other corals,” Dr. Laura Haggard, an ecologist at UCI, said in the news release.
“The cays appear to be doing some sort of camouflage, or perhaps just a form of play, which would explain why some corals seemed to be less interested in their surroundings than others.”
Researchers believe that some species of baby coras don’t even know what it means to be part or even majority of your aquarium.
If you’re curious about baby crases, you can read more about the baby crocs at the UCI website, which offers a more in-depth overview of the species.