On the right is Parthenope, an unusual little crab found in the mud. The picture does not show it, but the shell has a little protrusion sticking out between the eyes.
Crabs (Order Decapoda) are Crustaceans like the Prawns (Order Decapoda also), Barnacles (Order Cirripedia), Amphipods and Isopods. The Horseshoe Crabs however are not crabs at all. They are not even Crustaceans but Chelicerata - the subphylum in which Spiders belong! |
|
|
The first crabs you will probably see are the little Fiddlers (Uca spp.).
They build burrows in the sand and come out when the tide is low.
Only males have the large claw which they use as a signalling/fighting device
for maintaining their territory and for courting females.
The one on the left is probably Uca annulipes. On the right is Parthenope, an unusual little crab found in the mud. The picture does not show it, but the shell has a little protrusion sticking out between the eyes. |
|
 |
I have no idea what this crab is. I found it on the white foam piece sailing with the tide. By the way it hung on to the foam, my guess is that its one of the more terrestrial crabs. |
 |
Here are some of the swimming crabs (Family Portunidae).
They have their last pair of legs modified into swimming paddles.
The Mud Crabs (Scylla spp.) and Flower Crabs (Portunus pelagicus) we eat
are from this family. |