General Description

Carapace pale brown to blue-grey, about as wide as long. The rear legs end with a flat rounded paddle. They have a pair of large blood-red to mauve grey 'eye' spots toward the rear of the carapace. Up to 11 cm wide (carapace).

Biology

Sand Crabs are particularly agile, being able to bury rapidly into the sand by digging backwards when disturbed, leaving only their stalked eyes poking up into the water above. Fisherman find Ovalipes a nuisance because they bite their bare feet in shallow waters, and expertly remove bait from their fishing hooks. They are usually active at night.

Distribution

Southern Australia.

Habitat

Sand areas and beaches, to depth of 100 m.

More Information