General Description

Rostral spines stout, straight, divergent; hepatic spine sharp. Anterolateral angle of basal antennal article with spine. Preorbital spine broad, upturned and antorbital spine sharp; intercalated spine well separated from supraorbital eave, directed obliquely forward. Walking legs with propodi strongly expanded. Up to 7 cm long.

Biology

Common in rock pools the Spiny Seaweed Crab hides on rock platforms and in sandy environments rich in algae, sponges or seagrass. These crabs have small hooked hairs on their carapace to which they attach bits of seaweed, sponge or bryozoan. This camouflage, and moving very slowly, makes them hard to see in their natural habitat.

Distribution

Southern temperate oceans, Kermadec Islands and southern Australia.

Habitat

Low intertidal to 10 m depth.

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