Decorator crab

They decorate themselves by sticking mostly sedentary animals and plants to their bodies as camouflage, or if the attached organisms are noxious, to ward off predators through aposematism.

He noted that "the whole proceeding is most human and purposeful", and that if a Stenorhynchus crab is cleaned, it will "immediately begin to clothe itself again with the same care and precision as before".

Cott compares the way Australian aborigines once used water lily leaves over their faces to swim up to waterfowl until they could catch them by the legs.

[1] Reviewing studies conducted by different authors, Hultgren and Stachowicz showed that some species are highly specialised in their choices of camouflage.

For example, Pelia tumida decorates itself only with sponges; Macropodia rostrata and Libinia dubia choose the noxious alga Dictyota menstrualis in some places, while Inachus phalangium chooses the same alga for the most exposed parts of its body; and Stenocionops furcata selects the stinging sea anemone Calliactis tricolor for its carapace.