| Family: |
Eriphiidae (stone and mud crabs) |
| Max. size: |
8 cm CW (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine; depth range 0 - 6 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-Pacific: north from Japan, China, Taiwan to southeast Asia, west to Australia, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands to India, Oman and east Africa. |
| Diagnosis: |
Carapace is oval in shape which is covered with tubercles. The frontal margin has six or more spines. Pair of pincers are unequal in size and are covered with very tiny granules (Ref. 128968). |
| Biology: |
Adults are found in rock cracks in shallow waters. They display aggressive and nocturnal behaviour (Ref. 128968). Collected for food. Occasionally mildly poisonous in some parts of its range. Mildly poisonous (Ref. 79155). Inhabits rocky shore or reefs. Benthic. Subtropical and tropical climates (Ref. 343). Intertidal (Ref. 106854). Also occurs on algal mat (Ref. 106227). Found within crevices in rocks or coral reefs (Ref. 79155). Observed on mangrove trees (Ref. 74547). Has large master claws with molariform teeth used to crush shells of snails and hermit crabs (Ref. 107019). Observed to open large Turbo sp. Shells in order to extract the terrestrial hermit crab Coenobita perlatus (Ref. 76500). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
|
| Threat to humans: |
poisonous to eat |
| Country info: |
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