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rocky shore

Purple climber crabs Metopograpsus sp. Family Grapsidae

Purple climber crabs are found everywhere in the rocky shore but are hard to spot. They are more active at night. During the day, you will rarely see more than a purplish hairy leg peeking out from a crevice! They are also found in mangroves.

Being flat, they can squeeze into cracks and under rocks. They have well developed hooks at the tips of their legs to grip the rock firmly.

Purple Food: Purple climber crabs will eat almost anything. These aggressive crabs and will attack and eat any prey they can overcome. They can even give you a nasty pinch! They also scavenge on dead animals found on the rocky shore. If there is nothing better to eat, they scrape off algae with their pincers which are scalloped.

quick facts
Body width to about 4cm, common on the rocky shore

Classification:
Order Decapoda
Class Malacostraca
Subphylum Crustacea
Phylum Arthropoda

Other references

Tan, Leo W. H. & Ng, Peter K. L., 1988. A Guide to Seashore Life. The Singapore Science Centre, Singapore. 160 pp. online version
Lim, S., P. Ng, L. Tan, & W. Y. Chin, 1994. Rhythm of the Sea: The Life and Times of Labrador Beach. Division of Biology, School of Science, Nanyang Technological University & Department of Zoology, the National University of Singapore. 160 pp.
Ng, Peter K. L. & N. Sivasothi, 1999. A Guide to the Mangroves of Singapore II (Animal Diversity). Singapore Science Centre. 168 pp. online version
Chuang, S. H., 1961. On Malayan Shores. Muwu Shosa, Singapore.225 pp., plates 1-112.
Davey, Keith, 1998. A Photographic Guide to Seashore Life of Australia. New Holland, Australia.144 pp.

a companion website to the chek jawa guidebook website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com

a companion website to the chek jawa guidebook
website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com