Swift-footed Crab
Scientific name: Leptograpsus variegatus
Click to enlarge image
Swift-footed Crab (Leptograpsus variegatus) is common along the east coast of Australia in tidal pools and rocky shores. Here it is caught out of its element as it scuttles across the beach.
Image: Jonathon Winnel
© Australian Museum
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Leptograpsus
- Species
- variegatus
- Subfamily
- Grapsinae
- Family
- Grapsidae
- Suborder
- Pleocyemata
- Infraorder
- Brachyura
- Order
- Decapoda
- Class
- Malacostraca
- Subphylum
- Crustacea
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 8 cm
-
- Habitats
- intertidal
The Swift-footed Crab is the most active and prominent crab on Sydney's rocky coast. Scurrying and darting quickly among the rocks, it can be quite difficult to catch.
Identification
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.
The Swift-footed Crab (<i>Leptograpsus variegatus</i>) 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.
Image: Roxanne Bailey© Roxanne Bailey
Habitat
The Swift-footed Crab lives on intertidal rocky shores.
Distribution
The Swift-footed Crab is found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as well as New Zealand and South America.
This map shows species occurrence observations from data recorded in the Atlas of Living Australia.
