General Description
Buff-coloured. The hard upper shell (carapace) is flat and rounded with a beak-shaped projection (rostrum) extending between the eyes. Spines on the antennae are prominent when viewed from beneath the carapace. Males have enlarged claws (chelae) with a soft swelling (pulvinus) between the fingers. Carapace up to 2.2 cm wide.
Biology
All flat-backed crabs or false spider crabs or sea spiders as they are variously named, have a very flat carapace with a well-defined edge and very long spindly legs. Despite the name Estuarine Sea Spider this species and its relations are not true Sea Spiders (pycnogonids) but are instead crabs. This species is larger than most false spider crabs; the round carapace of most species are less than 15 mm across. They inhabit algae or hide under stones.
Distribution
Southern temperate oceans, including southern Australia.
Habitat
Muddy estuaries to depths of 7 m.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Buff-coloured crab with a flat, rounded upper shell (carapace) extending to a point between the eyes, and slender walking legs. Male claws enlarged with a soft swelling between the fingers.
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Maximum Size
22 mm
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Habitats
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Diet
Organic matter
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Hazards
Not harmful. This crab species has small claws so a nip from them is unlikely to be painful.
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
DSE Advisory List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Depths
Shore (0-1 m), Shallow (1-30 m)
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Water Column Locations
On or near seafloor
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
(Targioni Tozzetti, 1877)
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Common Name
Estuarine Sea Spider
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Other Names
False Spider Crab
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Superclass
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Class
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
laevis
