Purple Swift-footed Shore Crab

Description:

Aka purple rock crab, large shore crab, papaka nui. Carapace has broadly rounded edges, the legs long and flattened which it uses like paddles, claws purple above and white below. Up to 80 mm across, but usually smaller. Very fast and difficult to catch, and can be quite aggressive when cornered - take my word for it, the nippers are strong. I discovered this many times when I was a boy. Scavenger and omnivore, feeding on both animal (flea mussels, barnacles, etc.) and plant matter (seaweeds, plankton slime). It is the only species in the genus Leptograpsus.

Habitat:

Crevices and ocean rock pools at Terrigal Beach, on the NSW Central Coast. This particular rock platform is just below one of the headlands at the Terrigal Haven. Calm seas, but approaching high tide.

Notes:

I almost caught this crab for a photo op whilst it was scurrying across the rock platform, but it was faster than I was on the day. A grazed elbow was my reward. It was a mid-sized specimen. PS: For those with sinister crab-related ideas, it is a non-edible species.