Original subtitles

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NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL, YOU KNOW YOU’RE WATCHING

TELEVISION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: HI, EVERYONE, I'M DYLAN DREYER.

AND IT'S TIME FOR AN INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

TODAY, WE'RE CRUISING THE OCEAN FLOOR FOR A LOOK AT THE PECULIAR

WORLD OF CRUSTACEANS,

LIKE THIS SEE-THROUGH SEAFARER WHO'S NOT AFRAID TO SHOW YOU

WHAT THEY'RE MADE OF

AND A CRAB WITH A DETACHABLE DEFENSE SYSTEM.

LATER, WE'LL MEET WHAT'S BROUGHT THIS CRUSTY CRITTER OUT OF ITS

SHELL,

BUT WE BEGIN OUR JOURNEY BY TAKING A LOOK AT WHERE THESE

CURIOUS CREATURES START THEIRS.

JOIN US FOR AN UNDERWATER ADVENTURE ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

[MUSIC]

CRUSTACEANS ARE EXTREMELY CRAFTY CHARACTERS.

THEIR ABILITY TO USE THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND EVEN THE ANIMALS

LIVING ALONGSIDE THEM AS A FORM OF PROTECTION IS IMPRESSIVE.

MANY CRUSTACEANS USE TECHNIQUES THAT ARE COMMON AMONG MANY OTHER

SPECIES, BUT THEY'RE EFFECTIVE AS EVER ON THE OCEAN FLOOR.

CAMOUFLAGE IS A COMMON METHOD OF HIDING OUT IN THE WILD, BUT

CRUSTACEANS HAVE ANOTHER TRICK UP THEIR SLEEVE.

THEY'RE EXPERTS IN FINDING AND DISAPPEARING INTO SHELTER.

SOME, LIKE THESE MUD SHRIMPS, SYSTEMATICALLY TAKING COVER.

EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SHELLS, THEY TEND TO HIDE IN CRACKS IN

THE ROCK, SPONGES, OR LIKE HERE, IN BITS OF WOOD.

LIFE SEEMS PRETTY EVENTFUL IN THIS COMMUNITY,

AND FIGHTS ARE COMMON.

OTHER TINY CREATURES HAVE CHOSEN A NOMADIC LIFE ON THE BACKS OF

SEA CUCUMBERS.

THIS CRAB, WHICH IS JUST TWO INCHES WIDE, WITHDRAWS INTO ITS

HOST WHEN IT FEELS THREATENED.

IT SHARES THIS SHELTER WITH THESE EMPEROR SHRIMPS.

BY OBSERVING THEIR WAY OF LIFE, IT'S EVIDENT THAT MANY

CRUSTACEANS HAVE PERFECTED UNUSUAL, SOPHISTICATED, AND

PRETTY UNIQUE TECHNIQUES FOR SURVIVING IN HOSTILE CONDITIONS.

ALL THESE METHODS HAVE THE SAME OBJECTIVE, TO LIVE IN ORDER TO

REPRODUCE AND THUS PERPETUATE THE SPECIES.

MAINLY OVIPAROUS, OR EGG-LAYING CRUSTACEANS, HAVE SEPARATE

GENDERS.

REPRODUCTION IS ALWAYS BETWEEN TWO PARTNERS AND JUST AFTER

MOLTING WHEN THE SHELL IS STILL SOFT.

DURING INCUBATION, THE FEMALE CARRIES THE EGGS.

INVISIBLE IN CRABS, THEY'RE EASIER TO SEE IN THE GHOST

SHRIMP.

FOR ALL TO SEE, THE THOUSANDS OF EGGS OF THE BRIGHTLY COLORED

MANTIS SHRIMP ARE GATHERED IN A BOWL IN FRONT OF ITS MOUTH AND

BETWEEN HIS LEGS.

THE TIMING OF HATCHING VARIES WITH THE SPECIES.

IT TAKES PLACE BETWEEN ONE AND THREE WEEKS AFTER EGG-LAYING.

ONCE HATCHED, CRUSTACEANS PASS THROUGH LARVAL STAGES AND

UNDERGO MANY CHANGES.

LARVAE ARE PART OF ANIMAL PLANKTON.

THEY ARE CARRIED BY THE CURRENT AND SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE

WORLD'S SEAS AND OCEANS.

FEW LARVAE SURVIVE BECAUSE THEY ARE A SOURCE OF FOOD FOR MANY

MARINE ANIMALS.

THEY ARE SO SMALL, THAT IT'S HARD TO SEE THEM BEING EATEN.

ONLY THE PREDATOR'S MOVEMENTS INDICATE THEIR PRESENCE.

HERE, THE CHARACTERISTIC SWINGING OF THE PIPEFISH'S HEAD

ACCOMPANYING THE HUNT ATTESTS TO THIS.

CRUSTACEANS PREYING ON OTHER CRUSTACEANS ISN'T UNHEARD OF.

THIS TOZEUMA SHRIMP IS HAPPILY NIBBLING ON TINY PLANKTON

LARVAE.

ATTACHED ANIMALS LOVE THEM, TOO, AND GRAB THEM AS THEY PASS.

WHEN WE LOOK EXTREMELY CLOSELY, YOU CAN SEE THE HOARDS OF TINY

CRUSTACEANS HOLDING ON TO SURVIVAL IN THE HOPES OF

BECOMING A THRIVING ADULT.

WHEN WE COME BACK, THE SHRIMP IS ALL ABOUT SHOWING OFF ITS INNER

BEAUTY, AND THERE'S A CORAL REEF RESIDENT WITH A DELICATE

DISPOSITION.

PLUS, GET A RARE LOOK AT HOW CRUSTACEANS SIZE UP IN THE DEEP

SEA.

ALL THIS NEXT ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

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NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: TO SURVIVE AND ESCAPE PREDATORS, SOME CRUSTACEANS HAVE

PERFECTED CLOSE PROTECTION TECHNIQUES.

AND SO LIKE THE WELL-KNOWN CLOWNFISH, THIS TINY TRANSPARENT

SHRIMP, OR THE ANEMONE PARTNER SHRIMP, HAS FOUND REFUGE IN THE

ANEMONE'S STINGING ARMS.

IN ANOTHER ANEMONE, A SMALL WHITE TRIANGLE IS BOBBING ABOUT.

ANOTHER TINY SHRIMP WHOSE AMBER BODY IS PARTIALLY VISIBLE.

MAYBE THE MOST PRECIOUS AND FRAGILE, THE BUBBLE CORAL SHRIMP

IS SHELTERING IN THE MATERNAL CURVES OF ITS ANEMONE.

IT HAS A THIN PURPLE LINE ALONG ITS BACK, CLAWS, AND LEGS AND

WHAT APPEAR TO BE SMALL DIAMONDS BETWEEN EACH JOINT.

OTHERS HAVE CHOSEN MOBILE HOMES, LIKE THESE COLEMAN SHRIMPS THAT

LOOK PRETTY COMFY IN THIS FIRE URCHIN.

THEY MOVE ABOUT SAFELY, SHIELDED BY THE PRICKLES, AND FEED ON THE

SPOT.

AND SO IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR CLEANING SERVICES, THEY ENJOY

FREE TRAVEL AND LODGING AND LIVE UNDISTURBED.

AS FOR THE SPIDER CRABS, THEY USE DIFFERENT SURVIVAL

TECHNIQUES.

THAT'S THE CASE OF THESE CRABS THAT DON'T HESITATE TO CHANGE

APPEARANCE TO DISGUISE THEMSELVES.

BUT IS DISGUISE THE RIGHT WORD WHEN IT'S A QUESTION OF GRAFTS,

OR TRANSPLANTS, ON YOUR OWN BODY?

WHITE OR PINKISH IN COLOR, THESE UNQUESTIONABLY ELEGANT AND

GRACEFUL CRABS OWE THEIR FEATHERY APPEARANCE TO ANEMONES

ON THEIR BODIES.

CAMOUFLAGED LIVING TAKES MANY AND VARIED FORMS.

THIS IMPOSING FIGURE HAS DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANEMONES

GRAFTED ALL OVER ITS BODY.

GIVING FREE REIGN TO THEIR IMAGINATION, EACH CRAB DEVELOPS

A TOTALLY WILD LOOK.

SOME APPEAR TO BE WEARING HATS, EACH MORE EXTRAVAGANT THAN THE

LAST AND ALWAYS PRECARIOUSLY BALANCED.

IN THE BLOOMING CATEGORY, THIS CLUMP OF WAVING ALGAE CRAB WOULD

DEFINITELY WIN THE PRIZE FOR HUMOR.

AND WHAT ABOUT THESE POWERFUL TANKS IN ACTION THAT YOU ONLY

NOTICE WHEN THEY MOVE.

TO HIDE FROM VIEW AND NOT TO BE SEEN BY THEIR PREDATORS, OTHER

TINY CRABS HAVE CHOSEN TO DRESS LIKE THEIR HOSTS.

LIKE GARDENERS, THEY GROW GORGONIAN CORALS, OR POLYP

CORALS, ON THEIR SHELLS.

THESE TRANSPLANTED ANIMALS HIDE AND PROTECT THEM, BECAUSE VERY

OFTEN, THEY HAVE STINGING PARTS.

OTHERS LOOK SO MUCH LIKE THEIR HOSTS, THAT YOU CAN ONLY SPOT

THEM WHEN THEY MOVE, LIKE THIS ALGAE CRAB THAT IS AS GREEN AS

THE PLANT ON WHICH IT LIVES.

THE STAR ATTRACTION, THOUGH, REMAINS THE BOXER CRAB.

THIS TINY SHOWOFF IS SMART AND INVENTIVE.

IT USES A CHEATS TECHNIQUE.

IT GRAFTS STINGING ANEMONES TO THE END OF ITS PINCERS.

ARMED WITH AN ELECTRIC POWER-UP, THEY'RE ONE OF THE CRAFTIEST

CREATURES IN THE SEA.

COMING UP, WE'LL MEET A CRAB THAT'S GENTLE IN NAME, BUT

RUGGED BY NATURE.

AND SEE WHAT A GROWTH SPURT LOOKS LIKE FOR THIS DEEP SEA

DECAPOD WHEN "EARTH ODYSSEY" RETURNS.

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: WITH WAVES, TIDES, AND CURRENTS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING THE

LANDSCAPE OF UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENTS, MOST AQUATIC

ANIMALS HAVE BECOME EXPERTS IN MOBILITY.

WITHOUT ANY BONES IN THEIR BODIES, GETTING AROUND FOR

CRUSTACEANS REQUIRES ITS OWN UNIQUE ABILITY.

THEY MAY NOT BE AS FLUID OR AS GRACEFUL AS THEIR FISH OR MAMMAL

COUNTERPARTS, BUT THEY ARE ODDLY VERSATILE IN THE WATER.

CRUSTACEANS MOVE MAINLY THANKS TO THEIR APPENDAGES, OR LEGS,

ALWAYS MANY, ALWAYS IN PAIRS.

THESE LEGS GIVE THEM A DISTINCTIVE GAIT.

IT'S JERKY, SLIGHTLY UNBALANCED, AND NOT VERY ELEGANT.

BUT THESE LEGS AREN'T JUST MADE FOR WALKING.

THEY CAN ALSO BE USED FOR SWIMMING.

THAT'S THE CASE WITH SHRIMP.

THEY SWIM SO QUICKLY AND ELEGANTLY, THAT IT LOOKS AS IF

THEY'RE FLYING.

THE LEGS ALSO SERVE AS PINCERS.

AS WELL AS ITS HUGE CLAWS, THE PORCELAIN CRAB HAS MORE

SOPHISTICATED APPENDAGES.

LIKE NETS, IT UNFURLS ITS FEATHERY FAN-LIKE MOUTH PARTS.

THIS INGENIOUS SYSTEM ENABLES IT TO FILTER THE PLANKTON IT

FEEDS ON.

THESE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS HAVE ONE PURPOSE, FEEDING.

MOST CRUSTACEANS ARE CARNIVOROUS, EVEN THOUGH ALGAE

SOMETIMES ENTER THEIR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.

THEY ARE OFTEN OPPORTUNISTIC AND EAT DEAD AS WELL AS LIVE PREY.

THE SMALLEST FEED ON PLANKTON, OR DECOMPOSING PARTICLES.

POWERFULLY ARMED, THE LARGEST PREFER LIVE PREY LIKE FISH OR

MOLLUSKS.

HOWEVER, CRUSTACEANS ARE CONSUMMATE SURVIVORS, EVEN WHEN

FOOD IS SCARCE.

SOME, SUCH AS LOBSTERS, ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE WITHOUT FOOD FOR

SEVERAL MONTHS, ONE MORE REASON THIS FASCINATING CLASS OF

ANIMALS HAS BEEN ABLE TO ROAM THE EARTH FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS.

AFTER THE BREAK, WE'LL SEE AN UNDERWATER EXAMPLE OF OUT WITH

THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW.

THERE'S MORE "EARTH ODYSSEY" COMING UP.

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NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: OUT OF THE APPROXIMATELY 50,000 SPECIES OF CRUSTACEANS,

THEY ALL SHARE ONE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC THAT ALSO MAKES

THEM SO UNIQUE, THEIR EXTERNAL SKELETON, MORE COMMONLY REFERRED

TO AS A SHELL, OR CARAPACE.

IN FACT, THEY GOT THEIR NAME FROM THIS CARAPACE BECAUSE THE

WORD "CRUSTACEAN" COMES FROM THE LATIN "CRUSTA", WHICH MEANS

CRUST, OR HARD SHELL.

THIS HARD EXTERIOR IS NOT MADE OF ONE SOLID PIECE, AS THIS

WOULD MEAN THEY COULDN'T MOVE.

MOVEMENT IS POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE ARTICULATION BETWEEN THE

DIFFERENT PARTS.

BUT IF THIS SHELL IS RIGID, HOW DO THEY GROW?

MOLTING.

MOLTING IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH THEY GROW, AND WHAT MAY LOOK

LIKE JUST A DEAD CRUSTACEAN IS IN FACT AN EMPTY SHELL BEING

CARRIED ALONG BY THE WAVES.

MOLTING INVOLVES THE SHEDDING OF THE OLD SHELL AND REGENERATION

OF THE NEW ONE.

CRUSTACEANS MOLT BECAUSE THEIR OLD SHELL HAS BECOME TOO SMALL.

SO IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WHEN AN ANIMAL IS YOUNG AND THEN LESS SO

AS IT GROWS OLDER.

IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO OBSERVE A CRUSTACEAN MOLTING

BECAUSE IT USUALLY OCCURS WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING, AT NIGHTFALL.

THEY USE THE COVER OF DARKNESS TO HIDE SINCE THEY ARE

ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE.

BEING ABLE TO SEE THE MOLTING PROCESS IS EXCEPTIONALLY RARE.

SHOT IN AN ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENT, THIS RECORDING

CATCHES THE ENTIRE PROCESS.

FIRST, THE OLD SHELL BECOMES DETACHED.

THEN THE ANIMAL BEGINS TO SHED IT.

SHEDDING OCCURS THANKS TO THE ANIMAL'S TYPICAL BEHAVIOR.

IT MOVES RHYTHMICALLY AND INFLATES ITS BODY AS MUCH AS

POSSIBLE, OFTEN BY SWALLOWING WATER.

THE OLD SHELL TEARS ALONG THE WEAKEST POINTS, AND THE ANIMAL'S

MOVEMENTS ENABLE IT TO SHED THE OLD SHELL AND STRETCH THE NEW

SHELL FULLY.

AFTER MOLTING, THE ANIMAL IS SOFT, AND THEREFORE, IT'S EASY

PREY FOR PREDATORS.

IT TAKES SEVERAL DAYS FOR THE NEW SHELL TO HARDEN AND FORM A

PROTECTIVE LAYER.

MOLTING ENABLES CRUSTACEANS TO REGENERATE MISSING LIMBS.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEIR LEGS CAN GROW BACK.

ALL THAT THIS WOUNDED LITTLE CRUSTACEAN HAS TO DO IS WAIT FOR

THE NEXT MOLT TO REGAIN THE USE OF ALL ITS LIMBS.

MOST CRUSTACEANS HAVE EYES, AND SOME OF THEM DESERVE SPECIAL

ATTENTION.

THEIR EYES HAVE MANY FACETS, SOMETIMES SEVERAL HUNDRED.

THEY DON'T HAVE KEEN VISION, BUT THEIR EYES MOVE QUICKLY, WHICH

ENABLES THEM TO DETECT MOVING SHAPES.

SOME DEEP SEA SPECIES, WHICH LIVE IN TOTAL DARKNESS, HAVE

PRICKLES INSTEAD OF EYES.

20-20 VISION, THE MANTIS SHRIMP HAS THE BEST EYESIGHT IN THE

MARINE WORLD AND MAYBE EVEN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

ITS EYES PIVOT INDEPENDENTLY AND WILL ALLOW IT TO SEE IN EVERY

DIRECTION.

EACH EYE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS, EACH WITH ITS OWN

PUPIL.

THIS EYE SEES THE SHAPE, DISTANCE, AND DEPTH OF OBJECTS.

IT'S BASICALLY 3D VISION AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE

ADAPTATIONS IN THE WILD.

FOR EVERY SPECIES OF ANIMAL, SURVIVAL IS A UNIQUE ENDEAVOR.

EACH HAS THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL TRAITS THAT GIVE THEM THE BEST

CHANCE TO SUCCEED, AND CRUSTACEANS ARE NO EXCEPTION.

THESE WEIRD, YET WONDERFUL OCEAN WANDERERS OFFER A NEW

PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO THRIVE IN THE WILD.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME TODAY, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU FOR THE NEXT

ADVENTURE ON "EARTH ODYSSEY".

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