Surf Crab
Sand Crab, Bait Thief, Biter
Click to enlarge image
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Ovalipes
- Species
- australiensis
- Family
- Portunidae
- Suborder
- Pleocyemata
- Infraorder
- Brachyura
- Order
- Decapoda
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Subphylum
- Crustacea
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 10 cm
Introduction
The Surf Crab is easy to identify because it is the only species of crab in Sydney with two dark red spots on its carapace.
Identification
The Surf Crab is easy to identify because it is the only species of crab in Sydney with two dark red spots on its carapace.
Habitat
The Surf Crab lives on intertidal beaches and in estuaries and oceans to a depth of 35 m.
Distribution
The Surf Crab is found from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania to Perth in Western Australia.
Other behaviours and adaptations
The Surf Crab is commonly found on ocean beaches between the high- and low-tide marks. The Surf Crab belongs to the family Portunidae, known as swimming crabs because their back legs are modified into paddles. These paddles not only assist with swimming but also enable the crab to efficiently dig backwards into the sand and disappear when necessary. Local fishers refer to this crab as 'Biter' and 'Bait Thief' because it comes into shallow water and nibbles on bare feet, and removes bait from fishers' hooks.
