WHATSTHATFISH
Crustaceans

Rough Box Crab

Calappa gallus

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

Adult
@blogie · Dayang Beach Dive Site, Talikud Island, Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines · May 20121 / 3
01

Overview

Found over silty mud and sand areas, moving slowly along bottoms, or buried in the sand of coastal reefs.
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.

02

How to identify

Body shape
warts

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific, Atlantic Ocean
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found over silty mud and sand areas, moving slowly along bottoms, or buried in the sand of coastal reefs.

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Adult photos 3

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Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • Michael· 28 Aug 2017

    I found one in Broome Western Australia one of the most unusual creatures I have ever seen!

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumArthropoda
  3. classMalacostraca
  4. orderDecapoda
  5. familyCalappidae
  6. genusCalappa
  7. speciesCalappa gallus (Herbst, 1803)

SourcesWoRMSSeaLifeBase

06

More in the family

Decapoda