Yeti crab nicknamed 'The Hoff' thanks to its hairy chest

A new species of crab discovered off the coast of South Georgia has been dubbed "The Hoff" because of its hairy chest that, according to scientists, reminds them of oft-shirtless "Baywatch" star David Hasselhoff.

The creature is a form of Yeti crab, says Alex Rogers, the scientist who led the expedition to locate the crabs. It will, he tells the BBC, be given a formal scientific name at some point.

"The crab occurs in staggering densities," says Rogers. "It is just incredible to see these animals literally lying in heaps around the diffuse flow of these vents. In places, they reached as many as 600 individuals per square meter."

Which, of course, calls to mind great heaps of Hasselhoff clones lying around eating cheeseburgers. What? We're just sayin'.

Scientists also discovered several other new species on the cruise, including new types of starfish, barnacles, sea anemones and an octopus.