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Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Decapoda > Anomurans > hermit crabs
Spotted orange hermit crab
Dardanus megistos
Family Diogenidae
updated Dec 2019
Where seen? This bright orange hermit crab with white spots is sometimes seen on reefs and rubble on some of our shores.

Features: Body 4-8cm long. Body, walking and pincers sparsely hairy, red or orange with scattered black-edged white spots. The left pincer is larger more bulbous than the right pincer which is more slender. Eyes with white rim on stout dark red eyestalks. Short antennae all orange or red to the feathery tips. Long antennae white.

Pulau Sekudu, Jun 03

Tanah Merah, Jun 09
Spotted orange hermit crabs on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr
Other sightings on Singapore shores

Chek Jawa, Jul 15
Photo shared by Marcus Ng on flickr.

Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Jun 22
Photo shared by Che Cheng Neo on facebook.

Labrador, Sep 12
Photo shared by Liz Lim on facebook..

Sentosa Serapong, Jul 25
Photo shared of Adriane Lee on facebook.

Kusu Island, Jul 09
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog.

Kusu Island, May 16
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Small Sisters Island, Oct 25
Photo shared by Yan Le Su on facebook.

Pulau Tekukor, Mar 23
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Terumbu Selegie, May 24
Photo shared by Tommy Tan on facebook.
  

Small Sisters Island, Jul 23
Photo shared by Kelvin Yong on facebook.

Sisters Island, Oct 11
Photo shared by Rene Ong on facebook.
Sisters Island, Aug 15
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Cyrene Reef, Jun 19
Photo shared by Shawne Goh on facebook.
 

Terumbu Pempang Laut, Apr 11
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Terumbu Pempang Laut, Apr 11

Terumbu Semakau, Dec 12
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.
Terumbu Pempang Laut, Apr 11

Huge Spotted orange hermit crab (Dardanus megistos) from Loh Kok Sheng on Vimeo.
Acknowledgements
With grateful thanks to liwaliw for identifying this hermit crab on wildsingapore flickr.

Links References
  • Jones Diana S. and Gary J. Morgan, 2002. A Field Guide to Crustaceans of Australian Waters. Reed New Holland. 224 pp.
  • Debelius, Helmut, 2001. Crustacea Guide of the World: Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 321 pp.
  • Gosliner, Terrence M., David W. Behrens and Gary C. Williams. 1996. Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal life from Africa to Hawaii exclusive of the vertebrates Sea Challengers. 314pp.
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