I made this crochet-covered stone for a special reason. I can't tell you yet, but stay tuned! It continues my exploration of sea life. I patterned it after the sea anemone. These are such strange but beautiful creatures. I read this in my book "The Anatomy of the Sea" by Ponsonby and Dussart:
"The sea anemones are single polyps that can be found at any depth of in the oceans, from rocks on the coastal shelf to wrecks at the bottom of the ocean. Anemones can grow on the shells of crabs, where they feed on particles of food left by the messy eating of the crab. The poisoned barbs of the sea anemone help to protect the crab against predators. Some crabs will even snip a sea anemone off the rocks and attach it to their shell by its base. Other crabs will hold a sea anemone in a claw and wave it at predators to deter them."
Clever crabs! I love learning of these symbiotic relationships in nature.