New Zealand Half Crab

About

This half crab is another introduce invasive species that can be found around Tasmania in ever expanding ranges. Locally this crab is just about everywhere you can lift up a rock along Tomahawk Beach and around Tomahawk Island.

This crab often drops legs as an escape mechanism regrowing them over time like how lizards drop their tails.

This is an invasive species within Tasmania and as such it is an offence to use these crabs as bait or to move them around despite the fact, they are now readily established state-wide.

Identification

With an overall flattened appearance it varies in colour with mottled blues, greens, and browns. The carapace is slightly longer than it is wide and the rostrum broadly triangular and extends past the eyes with the long whip like antennae to the outside of the eyes. With large, flattened chelae (claws) and looks to only have three walking legs although it does have another that is tucked away at the rear into the abdomen flap

Size

Up to around 18mm

Habitat

Can be found in intertidal areas under rocks and out to depths of around 12m

Distribution

Native to New Zealand it is now found in Victoria and around Tasmania

Gallery

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Local Sightings

1 recorded sighting in and around the area.

References & citations (2)

1. The Atlas of Living Australia (accessed 2022-11-23 12:12:27)
2. WoRMS (2021). Petrolisthes elongatus (H Milne Edwards, 1837 [in H Milne Edwards, 1834-1840]) (accessed 2021-09-22 14:03:33)