Crabs of Christmas Island

A small crab with a carapace up to 20 mm wide. Dark chocolate brown above and lighter brown/grey underneath. Dark eyes on short eye stalks. Lighter brown / purple legs. Males sometimes have one claw larger than the other. Has dense mats of hair on both sides of the mouth parts.

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Found in the intertidal zone to 5 metres above sea level. Usually found under rocks, logs and leaf litter at the boundary of the beach sand or rubble and the start of the terrace forest soil.