John McCarthy
BEIJING (MN) — While studying coral reefs in the South China Sea, tiny “vibrant red” creatures — less than half an inch wide — caught the attention of researchers.
Divers and a remotely operated vehicle collected several specimens, which were later revealed to be a new species of crab, according to an April 8 study published in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
Gaillardiellus magiruber is named for its ability to change its color over its lifetime to a “flame-like red,” according to the study.
Gaillardiellus magiruber’s exoskeleton changes into a vibrant orange color as it grows. (Photo by Ziming Y., Wei J., Zhongli S. 2025.)
The word magiruber is a reference to a fiery figure called Magician’s Red in the manga series “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,” according to the study.
“As body size increases, the coloration changes from a lighter orange-red with bright red spots to a totally vibrant bright red,” researchers said.
Additionally, its front claws — the cheliped fingers — change from having white tips and a brown base to being entirely white, according to researchers.
The new species belongs to the xanthid family — a group of crabs known to be highly toxic.
Gaillardiellus magiruber is oval-shaped with wide, deep grooves on its exoskeleton. Its body is covered with spiky hair-like structures called setae used for sensory detection, according to the study.
The largest specimen collected, a female, measured less than half an inch wide and tall, according to the study.
The crabs were collected off the Spratly and Paracel Islands — two disputed archipelagos in the South China Sea. The research team included Yuan Ziming, Jiang Wei and Sha Zhongli.
By LAUREN LIEBHABER/McClatchy News
Lauren Liebhaber covers international science news with a focus on taxonomy and archaeology at McClatchy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Previously, she worked as a data journalist at Stacker.
