Calling all crab experts

[kdguam]

Can anyone identify this crab? It was caught at about 100 feet depth. I have never seen this anywhere.

 

[messiner]

holy crap thats like a turtle crab hybred

 

[davo]

woah thats sweet!

 

[kdguam]

Mystery solved. It is a box crab. They look very cool.

 

[sour_girl]

That is a wicked looking creature!!

 

[Oddball]

Agreed...Box crab (Calappa sp). Possibly C. calappa lineaus or C. hepatica.

 

[guppy]

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

 

[guppy]

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.

 

[Euge]

wow thats one cool looking crab..

 

[ridethefirexe]

whoa. thats really kwl.