crabs

Hemiplax hirtipes (Heller, 1862)
Class Malacostraca Order Decapoda Infraorder Brachyura Family Macrophthalmidae
classification
sentinel crab
morphology surface substrate habitat
1.5 cm
main image: Shane Ahyong, inset image: Serena Wilkens
Formally Macrophthalmus hirtipes. Oblong, wide carapace (much wider than long), body somewhat
barrel-shaped. Carapace margins with two narrow notches behind the eyes. Eyes on long stalks.
Front of carapace almost straight and steep at front. Chelipeds small, lightly built, fringed with long
setae and fingers slender, downward pointing, inwardly curved. . First pair of legs slightly longer
than claws, second and third much longer and last pair similar in length to first pair. Carapace
dark green to orange-brown with scattered dense, dark brown spots, margin dark brown. Can be
brightly coloured in larger specimens. Eye stalks white with dark brown patches, legs yellow-green
and claws often deep red or orange dorsally, white ventrally.
Endemic, widely distributed around NZ, including Stewart, Auckland and Campbell Islands. Common
from mid- to low-tide level in mud and sand flats of harbours, lagoons, estuaries, burrowing in
waterlogged sediments. Small crabs live under shell debris or bury in surface sediments. Large crabs
dig short, diagonal burrows.
It could also be……….
Austrohelice crassa
Neommatocarcinus huttoni
McLay, C. (1988) Crabs of New Zealand. Leigh Laboratory Bulletin 22.
Yaldwyn, J.C., Webber, R.W. (2011) Annotated checklist of New Zealand Decapoda (Arthropoda: Crustacea). Tuhinga 22: 171-272.
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