Marine biologist Ho Ping-ho spotted two colorful crabs off the coast of Taiwan last June. Along with a team of researchers, Ho, Assistant Professor at National Taiwan Ocean University, found the female crabs off the coast near Kenting National Park. The team, invited by Kenting National Park, was researching the environmental impact of an oil leak from a ship that ran aground when the discovery was made.
The new species strongly resembles a 
strawberry! Its red shell sports small white bumps and measures about an inch wide. Its distinctive shell sets it apart from a similar-looking crab, the Neoliomera pubescens, found in Hawaii, Polynesia and Mauritius. The team found the colorful crustaceans on the beach of Chialoshui. When the crabs were spotted, one was already dead. The second crab died later.
After a thorough search, the new species was confirmed as being unrecorded and has been temporarily named New Neoliomera pubescens.
Two photographs of the crab can be found on the Sun.
Strawberry photo by Bill Hudson
Strawberry crab photo Marie Moyer
I hope they will discover why they were in such poor health, and mabe how they came to be on the beach, and if they are in fact local.
Let’s also hope that the restaurant trade won’t sit-up, too attentively, taking notes !!