London Free Press

British scientists have named a new species of crab 'The Hoff' after Baywatch legend David Hasselhoff - because the crustacean sports a hairy chest.

The creature was discovered living around volcanic vents off South Georgia. The creature has yet to be formally classified, and has been given the humorous nickname that honours the often bare-chested Hasselhoff.

It will be given a formal scientific name in due course. Professor Alex Rogers who led the research cruise that found the animal, says, "Their nickname on the cruise ship was the 'Hasselhoff crab', which gives you some idea of what they look like. The crab occurs in staggering densities. 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 metre."