View Full Version : Calling all crab experts
kdguam
06-03-2006, 9:53 PM
Can anyone identify this crab? It was caught at about 100 feet depth. I have never seen this anywhere.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/aduenas/Salt%20Water/_MG_0014Medium.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/aduenas/Salt%20Water/_MG_0013Medium.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/aduenas/Salt%20Water/_MG_0012Medium.jpg
messiner
06-03-2006, 10:57 PM
holy crap thats like a turtle crab hybred
kdguam
06-04-2006, 12:34 AM
Mystery solved. It is a box crab. They look very cool.
sour_girl
06-04-2006, 12:45 AM
That is a wicked looking creature!!
Oddball
06-04-2006, 1:50 AM
Agreed...Box crab (Calappa sp). Possibly C. calappa lineaus or C. hepatica.
Looks like a Smooth Box Crab (Calappa calappa) but so pale it might be albino. here is a pic of a normal one from this site, http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/stender/marine/arthropods/crabs/crabs.htm
I just double checked and there are only two types of box crab in Guamanian waters, the more common one is the Calappa hepatica, here is a picture from this site, http://decapoda.free.fr/illustration.php?n=1&sp=111
The other is fairly uncommon there and is indeed the Calappa calappa pictured in the previous post.
wow thats one cool looking crab..
ridethefirexe
06-06-2006, 7:35 PM
whoa. thats really kwl.
Hiya Ridethefirexe, welcome to MFK.