Image: Swift-footed crab (yellow form)
Swift-footed crab (yellow form)
- Photographer:
- Roxanne Bailey
- Rights:
- © Roxanne Bailey
- Common name:
- Swift-footed crab
- Scientific name:
- Leptograpsus variegatus
- Family:
- Grapsidae
- Order:
- Decapoda
- Location:
- Perth, Western Australia
- Date taken:
- 20 September 2010
Additional information
The Swift-footed Crab's colour varies, although it is usually a dark olive-green or dark purple with lighter flecks on the upper surface. The large front claws are purple and white. This image shows the yellow form.
Swift-footed Shore Crabs are an active, fast moving crab that occurs abundantly on rock platforms.They often hide in crevices during the day and emerge at night to forage for food. They are members of the Decapod crab group. Decapod means ten limbs, where there are eight walking or swimming legs and two feeding claws called chelae.
This species is harvested intensively along the NSW coast for use as fish bait.
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