Indonesian (Lembeh Strait) Brachyuran Crabs

This page links to photos of Brachyuran crabs we saw on a 2013 trip to Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Many of our species remain unidentified and many names we provide are uncertain. Much of crab taxonomy depends upon close examination of the numerous appendages, something that is not easily done through in situ photographs of the living animal. We welcome corrections or suggestions at uwkwaj@yahoo.com. The Brachyurans constitute the larger of the two main groups of crabs. The other group. the Anomurans, consisting of hermit crabs, porcelain crabs and squat lobsters, either are or will be covered elsewhere on this site. Like the Anomurans, we show only a small sampling of the Brachyuran species known from Indonesia.

Measurements were not taken in the field and animals were not collected, so any sizes given are very rough eyeball estimates often based on distant memories, and are provided only as a general guideline of what to look for. Unless otherwise noted, our crab measurements are estimated widths of the carapace, not including the appendages, which may be much longer.

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Calappidae

These are the box crabs. They live in sandy areas, buried by day and often out on top of the sand at night. Powerful pincers are used to break up mollusk shells.


Calappa liaoi


Dorippidae


Dorippe frascone


Dorippe frascone


Dromiidae

The rear pair of legs of dromiid crabs is situated so that they can be used to hold something over the crab's shell, often a sponge but sometimes tunicates, clumps of soft coral, algae or any other item that may help to shield the crab from predators. Because there are numerous species in the family and details of the crab are difficult to observe, most of our identifications are tentative.


Tumidodromia dormia


Tumidodromia dormia

Dromiidae sp. 4


Dromiidae sp. 5

Epialtidae


Huenia brevifrons

Epialtidae sp. 1

Epialtidae sp. 2

Epialtidae sp. 3

Hoplophrys oatesii

Xenocarcinus tuberculatus

Inachidae


Achaeus spinosus


Camposcia retusa

Oncinopus sp. 1


Oncinopus sp. 2

Inachidae sp. 1

Leucosiidae


Leucosia craniolaris


Majidae


Micippa sp.


Palicidae


Pseudopalicus sp. 1


Parthenopidae


Parthenopidae sp.


Portunidae

Swimming crabs.


Caphyra
sp. 1


Caphyra? sp. 2

Charybdis sp. 1

Lissocarcinus laevis

Lissocarcinus orbicularis

Lupocyclus rotundatus

Portunus pelagicus

Portunus sanguinolentus

Thalamita? sp. 1

Portunidae sp. 2

Portunidae sp. 3

Trapeziidae


Quadrella cf coronata

Quadrella maculosa

Trapezia cymodoce

Trapezia rufopunctata

Xanthidae


Lybia tessellata


Neoxanthops lineatus

Family uncertain


Unknown decorator crab

We thank the knowledgeable people in the Facebook Crustacean Identification Group for suggestions on several of these species.

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