crabs

Metacarcinus novaezelandiae (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1846)
Class Malacostraca Order Decapoda Infraorder Brachyura Family Cancridae
classification
pie-crust crab
morphology surface substrate habitat
5 cm
main image: Shane Ahyong, inset image: Pete Notman
Carapace oval, wider than long. Carapace margins resemble convoluted pie-crust. Large chelipeds
with granular surface with four longitudinal ridges. Dark brown or red with darker rim around
carapace margin. Chelipeds with black finger tips. Young crabs can be mottled green on carapace
with dark brown spots. Legs orange banded and with orange dactyls.
Widely distributed around NZ including Chatham and Stewart Islands. Under stones and among
large seaweeds. Adults in deeper water on sandy bottoms. Intertidal to at least 40 m. Introduced to
southeastern Australia.
It could also be……….
Ozius deplanatus
Pilumnus sp.
Pilumnopeus serratifrons
McLay, C. (1988) Crabs of New Zealand. Leigh Laboratory Bulletin 22.
Poore, G. C. B. (2004) Marine Decapod Crustacea of Southern Australia: a guide to identification with chapter on Stomatopoda by Shane Ahyong. Melbourne:
CSIRO Publishing.
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