Description
Also known as Box Crab, Cancer Gallus, Crusty Box Crab, Knobby Box Crab, Lumpy Box Crab, Poki Poki, Shame-faced Crab, Warty Box Crab, Yellow Box Crab.
Found over silty mud and sand areas, moving slowly along bottoms, or buried in the sand of coastal reefs.
They feed on conch shells.
Length - 10cm
Depth - 1-200m
Widespread Atlantic, Indo-Pacific
Box crab are named because of the way they can tuck their legs into their bodies giving the appearance of a neat box. Shame-faced is from the way their claws fold in in front of their face, as if hiding it in shame. Ref: https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Calappa-gallus.html
1 comment
Posted by MichaelI found one in Broome Western Australia one of the most unusual creatures I have ever seen!