Tiny Pink King Crab Captures Global Attention Online

A baby king crab, accidentally discovered by NOAA researchers in the Gulf of Mexico, has become an internet sensation with over 10 million video views.

• NOAA researchers discovered the baby king crab while collecting coral samples and removing debris from the Gulf of Mexico seabed at depths over 1,000 meters.
• The crab, identified as a likely Neolithodes agassizii, is known for its spiny shell and typically inhabits cold, deep waters such as the Bering Sea.
• A video of the fingernail-sized, pink crab shared by NOAA has gone viral, amassing over 10.6 million views and thousands of shares on the platform X.
• The discovery is part of NOAA's broader efforts to restore deep-sea ecosystems damaged by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
• Fans of the crab have created artwork inspired by the tiny creature, though it has not yet been given an official name.

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