When it comes to adorable animals, Grumpy Cat, Moo Deng or Pesto might be the first to spring to mind.
But these viral sensations have new competition from a captivating creature, which has been dubbed the 'cutest in the world'.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has shared a video of a tiny crab, found in the Gulf of Mexico.
In the video, the tiny creature can be seen in the palm of a researcher's hand, with its beady black eyes standing out against its pink, spiky body.
'This is the cutest, spikiest, tiniest crab in the world! (Don't quote us on that—it's called hyperbole),' it tweeted.
The video has garnered huge attention on X (formerly Twitter), with over 10.6 million views to date.
'oh my GODDDDD what species is he?? im in love,' one viewer replied.
Another joked: 'He looks like he just woke up from an incredible nap.'
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has shared a video of a tiny crab, found in the Gulf of Mexico
'This is the cutest, spikiest, tiniest crab in the world! (Don't quote us on that—it's called hyperbole),' NOAA tweeted
The video has garnered huge attention on X (formerly Twitter), with over 10.6 million views to date
The crab was collected by the NOAA during a three-week mission in the Gulf of Mexico last summer.
'The mission that discovered this crab was one of many supporting the restoration of seafloor communities in the Gulf of Mexico's dim middle reaches and its deepest, sunlight-free areas that were harmed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,' the NOAA explained.
The crab is thought to be a juvenile Neolithodes agassizii – a species of king crab native to the Western Atlantic.
The spiky species usually lives at depths of up to 1,900 metres, and as adults they can grow up to 12cm head-to-tail, not including their legs.
However, the one in the video is clearly very young – and is yet to grow into its spikes!
Replying to the video, one user wrote: 'Also the dorkiest, look at that lil dude.'
Another added: 'this is quite possibly the best crab i have ever seen.'
And one joked: 'I can hear it saying, "My mom said you guys have to play with me."'
The spiky species usually lives at depths of up to 1,900 metres, and as adults they can grow up to 12cm head-to-tail, not including their legs. However, the one in the video is clearly very young – and is yet to grow into its spikes
Replying to the video, one user wrote: 'Also the dorkiest, look at that lil dude'
'oh my GODDDDD what species is he?? im in love,' one viewer replied
One X user compared the spiky crab to Reese from Malcolm in the Middle - a character known for his spiky hairstyle
The NOAA was inundated with so many replies that it then posted a follow-up video showcasing some of the crab's 'fan art'.
'You guys really loved our little crab ... like, really loved it. So much that you even made fan art!' it wrote.
This isn't the first time that a cartoon-like creature has hit the headlines.
Back in 2021, marine scientists spotted a yellow sea sponge and pink sea star hanging out together, which they dubbed the 'real life' SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star.
The adorable duo were spotted on the side of an underwater mountain called Retriever seamount, around 200 miles east of New York City.
Christopher Mah, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shared his findings on Twitter, joking: 'I normally avoid these refs... but WOW. REAL LIFE SpongeBob and Patrick!'
Meanwhile, in 2019, a photo of a Patrick Star-like starfish went viral on Twitter for a rather 'cheeky' reason.
In the image, the starfish looks like it has a rather peachy bottom, or 'thicc a**', as its photographer describes it.
WHAT IS AN OCEAN 'DEAD ZONE'?
In areas traditionally called 'dead zones', oxygen plummets to levels so low many animals suffocate and die.
As fish avoid these zones, their habitats shrink and they become more vulnerable to predators or fishing.
But the problem goes far beyond dead zones, the study's authors say.
Even smaller oxygen declines can stunt growth in animals, hinder reproduction and lead to disease or even death.
It also can trigger the release of dangerous chemicals such as nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas up to 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and toxic hydrogen sulphide.
In areas traditionally called 'dead zones', oxygen plummets to levels so low many animals suffocate and die (file photo)
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