Portly Spider Crab

libinia emarginata

The Portly Spider Crab is a large, friendly crab that loves to scuttle around the ocean floor. Its unique shape and colorful shell make it a fun creature to discover during beach walks!

Lebensraum: Coastal waters and sandy ocean floors

Aussehen

The Portly Spider Crab has a triangular, spiky, pear-shaped carapace that is often covered in attached marine organisms. Its dull brown-green body blends with the seafloor, and it possesses ten long, slender, pointed legs.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseMalacostracaOrdnungDecapodaFamilieEpialtidaeGattungLibinia

Portly Spider Crab

Kategorie

Invertebrate

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

A group of these ocean crabs is sometimes called a "cast"!

Its spiky shell helps grip plants for awesome camouflage!

Spider crabs love a good feast of tiny dead animals!

They taste with tiny hairs found on their legs and claws!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Portly Spider Crab can attach seaweed and sponges to its shell, creating excellent camouflage from predators.

Portly Spider Crab can re-grow lost legs or claws, which helps it recover from injuries or predator attacks.

Portly Spider Crab uses its strong, pointed legs to dig into soft sediments, helping it find food and hide.

Maße und Details

Lifespan: 2-5 years
Number Of Legs: 10
Average Carapace Width: Max 15 cm
Average Leg Span: Up to 50 cm
Average Weight: 100-500 g

Ernährung und Fütterung

This crab munches on tiny plants and bits of dead stuff it finds on the ocean floor.

Hauptnahrung

Algae
Seaweed
Detritus
Small worms
Mollusks
Crustacean larvae

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

A common seabird that preys on crabs in shallow waters.

eaten by

Blue Crab

Callinectes sapidus

Larger blue crabs may prey on smaller spider crabs.

eats

Sea Lettuce

Ulva lactuca

This crab often grazes on green algae like sea lettuce.

eats

Blue Mussel

Mytilus edulis

Feeds on small mussels and other invertebrates.

Merkmale

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.