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| crabs text index | photo index |
| Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Decapoda > Brachyurans > Family Portunidae |
| Chocolate
swimming crab Thalamita sp.* Family Portunidae updated Aug 10 Where seen? This swimming crab with chocolate brown body and pincers and blue legs is with commonly seen on many of our shores, especially near reefs and coral rubble. It is particularly active at night. It can be quite fierce and give a good pinch to inquisitive fingers. Don't handle crabs! Features: Body width 5-7cm. Body rectangular, eyes wide apart. With 5 spines on the sides. Body and pincers plain dark chocolate brown, some with a short white vertical line between the eyes. Sometimes legs are blue. In some, the body appears to have rows of tiny hairs that trap sediments and sand. This is probably why the crab often appears 'sandy'. The tips of the pincers are often black. According to Crabhunter some of these may be the Red swimming crab (Thalamita spinimana). |
 Pulau Sekudu, Apr 06 |
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Chocolate swimming crabs on Singapore shores
 Pulau Semakau, Sep 05 |
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 Sisters Island, Dec 03 |
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more photos of chocolate swimming crabs on Singapore shores
northern shores
southern shores part 1 | part 2
*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.
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