 |
|
| crabs text index | photo index |
| Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Decapoda > Brachyurans |
| Stone
crabs Family Menippidae updated Jun 11 Where seen? Stone crabs are commonly seen on our Northern shores, sheltering among stones, coral rubble, rubbish and other hiding places. Features: Body width 10-12cm, smaller ones also often seen. Large rounded body with large pincers. The common Stone crab (Myomenippe hardwicki) is identified by bright green eyes circled with red. The Maroon stone crab (Menippe rumphii) lacks such eyes and is usually plain maroon or red. Steady crab: When a stone is overturned, other crabs usually madly dash out helter skelter. The stone crab merely tucks its limbs under its body and remains motionless. In this way, predators overlook it as they focus instead on the more nervous crabs. Sometimes mistaken for Red egg crabs (Atergatis integerrimus), especially Stone crabs that are rather reddish. Red egg crabs have a similar shaped body but their eyes are all red and they usually have white dots on their body, although some may be plain. May also be confused with similar crabs in the same habitat. Here's more on how to tell apart big crabs with big pincers seen on the rocky shores and coral rubble. |
 With eggs Pulau Sekudu, Aug 05  Closer look at egg mass |
Stone crabs on Singapore shores
 Green eyes ringed with red. |
 Eyes not green. |
| Family
Menippidae recorded for Singapore from Wee Y.C. and Peter K. L. Ng. 1994. A First Look at Biodiversity in Singapore
|
|
References
|
|
|