crustacea text index | photo index
Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Decapoda
Photo index of crabs on Singapore shores
Small crabs with long eye stalks and body width < 3cm, see also other small crabs

size indicated is for body width

Soldier crab
Dotilla
sp.

Sand bubbler crab
Scopimera
and Dotilla sp.

Semaphore crab
Ilyoplax
sp.

Sentinel crab
Macrophthalmus
sp.

Horn-eyed
ghost crab

Ocypode ceratophthalmus
1-1.5cm. Body spherical, pincers equal sized, downward pointing, very long and slender. Greenish eyes on reddish stalks. Sandy shores. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. 1-1.5cm. Body spherical, pincers equal sized, downward pointing, long and broader. Colour and pattern matches surrounding sand. Sandy shores. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. 0.5cm. Body somewhat round, pincers equal sized and rather bulbous. Silty mud near mangroves. Sometimes seen in our mangroves. 0.5-1cm. Body square or rectangular and flattened. Very long eye stalks. Pincers equal sized and small. Soft silty muddy shores. Sometimes seen on some of our shores.
6-8cm. Body boxy with large slots for eyes to fold away into. Adults have horned eyes. Usually cream with brown 'H' markings. Sandy shores. Commonly seen on our many of our shores, but usually only at night.

Porcelain fiddler crab
Austruca annulipes

Orange fiddler crab
Gelasimus vocans

Tiny colourful
fiddler crab

awaiting identification

Rosy fiddler crab
Tubuca rosea

Stout pincered
fiddler crab

awaiting identification
1.5-2cm. Body squarish, enlarged pincer on male is smooth on the outside with a ridge of bumps on the inside 'palm'. Sandy silty shores. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. 2-3cm. Body squarish, enlarged pincer on male if flat with bumps and a ridge on the outside. Pincer tips flat and sabre-like. Sandy, silty shores including bottom of swimming lagoons. Sometimes seen on some of our shores. 1cm or less. Body triangular from above, rounded below. Enlarged pincer about the same as the body width. Sometimes seen in our mangroves. 1-1.5cm. Body triangular. Enlarged pincer about the same as body widt usually rose red. Sometimes seen in our mangroves. 1-1.5cm. Body triangular. Black eyes on pale eye stalks. Enlarged pincer longer than body width, with large bumps on the outer 'palm'. Sometimes seen in our mangroves.

Orange signaller crab
Metaplax elegans
       
2cm. Body squarish, legs flat with pointed tips. Eyes on short stalks. Males with long orange pincers of equal size. Soft mud in the back mangroves.        



photo index of
crustaceans on this site
Crustaceans
all crustaceans

Crabs
all crabs and crab-like

small

body width <2 cm

small with long eyestalks

small porcelain crabs

3 pairs walking legs

medium
body width 3-5cm

large
body width >5cm

swimming crabs
last pair of legs paddle-shaped

hermit crabs
live in shells
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