Hairy crabs named after David Hasselhoff

U.K. scientists doing research off the Antarctic coast recently discovered a new crab species, which they’ve nicknamed “The Hoff” crab. The deep-sea dweller was nicknamed after Baywatch actor David Hasselhoff because of its hairy chest.

“Their nickname on the cruise ship was the ‘Hasselhoff crab’, which gives you some idea of what they look like,” Professor Alex Rogers, who leads the research team, told the BBC.

The new crab species is actually a type of yeti crab, which is recognized for its hairy exterior. The hairs on yeti crabs are used to cultivate bacteria, which the crabs eat as food.

The Hoff crab reportedly had such unusually long hairs that researchers immediately thought of Hasselhoff’s bushy exterior. Apparently, the 59-year-old actor is quite proud that his name has been used in the discovery. On Twitter, Hasselhoff has created the hashtag “GotHoffCrabs”.

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