Swimming Crab

Swimming crabs are colorful and energetic crabs. They are frequent in the coral rubble area and sea grass lagoon. In addition the large adults, small juvenile swimming crabs are as well hidden between the sea grass and seaweed, and other nooks and crannies. They frequently swim sideways; however can also swim backwards and sometimes forwards. They swim with their paddle-shaped fifth pair of legs. They habitually hide among the vegetation and slip under rocks and into other narrow crevices. Swimming crabs have a streamlined shape for racing through the water. They have long pincers armed with sharp spines to snag fish and other fast moving prey. They eat fish, worms, and other crustaceans, including other crabs, clams and snails. They might as well chew on seaweed. It grows to about eight cm. It has stalked red eyes and its surface has a fine velvet texture. Swimming crab, if is disturbed, pinch with their pincers to draw blood. Carapace covered with scattered, coarse granules, and whitish or pale-bluish irregular meshwork pattern, often with short but dense pubescence between the granules. Clear mesogastric, epibranchial and obscure met gastric ridges on the carapace.