Pleated Rock Crabs

Description:

Black crabs with small light yellow spots; ~ 2.5 cm carapace width. The spots appear to be distributed along or symmetrically on either side of each crab's longitudinal centerline.

Habitat:

Near shore shallow tropical waters; sand beach, rock and coral reef ecosystem.

Notes:

Spotted on a rock at the water's edge at Haleiwa Beach Park. The swell (15-20 cm "ankle-snappers") washed over the rock a couple of times a minute, keeping things wet. This wetness is evident in the images, to include the water spots on the lens in the third image. That image shows one crab on the right, two and possibly three on the left. Also obvious on the left and above right, looking like little Fujiyamas, are ‘Opihi--Hawaiian limpets (Cellana exarata, other Celana spp). All the crabs were harboring in depressions or cavities in the rock surface.