Many people have the same fun fact about horseshoe crabs: these ancient animals have vivid blue blood that is used to check that vaccines are safe and may have saved millions of lives. But what you might not know is that baby horseshoe crabs are surprisingly adorable.
Nipam Patel, director at the Marine Biological Laboratory, recently shared a video on LinkedIn that shows just how cute these little beans can be.
In the video, teeny horseshoe crab embryos can be seen spinning around inside transparent egg casings and wriggling their legs as if they’re trying to go Zorbing.
Horseshoe crab embryos and juveniles. Credit: Filmed by BioQuest Studies at the Marine Biological Laboratory
The juveniles look “more like bulldozers in a demolition derby,” says Patel.
The babies trundle along the sand, ramming into each other, flipping over and even seemingly giving each other piggybacks.
You wouldn’t think these cute but chaotic critters have saved more lives than any other species on the planet.
More wildlife stories from around the world
Top image: Filmed by BioQuest Studies at the Marine Biological Laboratory