The Hoff may have been the heartthrob of the 1990s but it looks like his celebrity status has been regenerated thanks to a hairy species of crab. Scientists in the UK have discovered a new type of crab on the southern Ocean floor that they have dubbed “the Hoff” because of its hairy chest. The crab is part of the Yeti crab family and was discovered by scientists exploring a volcanic vent off South Georgia. The species has yet to receive a formal scientific name, but the crew responsible for discovering the crustacean took the liberty of nicknaming it “the Hoff” after noticing some prominent hairs on its chest. Yeti crabs were first identified in the southern Pacific and are recognized for the hairs, or setae, along their claws and limbs that they use to cultivate bacteria that they then eat. This new species of Yeti are found around the vents that populate the East Scotia Ridge and are slightly different than other Yetis as they exhibit long setae on their ventral surface – their undersides. It seems David Hasselhoff was only too happy to have inspired the namesake of the crab; he tweeted yesterday: “It used to be a bad thing to have crabs! Allow me to introduce the newest crab on the planet…The Hoff Crab.”
