While walking along the rocky shoreline of Queensland, Australia, Richard Conrad suddenly spotted a curious figure moving across the rocks. Brightly colored and multi-legged, the little creature caught his attention right away. Conrad quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a photo.
The only problem? He’d taken the shot from far away.
When he cropped and zoomed in, the result was a hilariously blurry mystery. Amused, Conrad posted the picture in the popular Crap Wildlife Photography Facebook group — and within minutes, the guesses started rolling in.
“It’s like a cross between a frog, a scorpion, and a lionfish,” one commenter joked. Another added, “With a duck riding on its back.”
Despite the wild guesses, the truth was far less bizarre — though still fascinating. The “mystery animal” was actually a colorful rock crab, a shy crustacean that lives along Australia’s coast.
“Rock crabs are common on rocky headlands here,” Conrad told The Dodo. “They are very shy and hide if they see you approach.”
Here’s a less-zoomed photo, if you want a better idea of what the crab Conrad saw actually looked like:
And here’s a video of a rock crab, if you’re still having trouble picturing them:
Unlike the blurry image that stumped the internet, a clear photo shows the crab’s vibrant shell and impressive claws — the tools it uses to catch prey. According to the Australian Museum, their shells can vary in color and even change as they grow.
For Conrad, the best part wasn’t just spotting the crab, but watching how much fun people had trying to guess what it was.
“Crap Wildlife Photography is all about just having fun and enjoying reading all the silly comments,” he said.
