PORT PHILLIP BAY


Red Rock Crab 

Guinusia chabrus (Linnaeus, 1758)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Carapace and abdomen with dense felt of fine hairs. Chela palm strongly granulate, granulae arranged in longitudinal lines. Walking legs with numerous small spines on upper margin of merus, with smooth ridges separating grooves felted with fine hairs. Abdomen of male tapering regularly towards telson. Orange-red, darker crimson on felted areas of carapace and walking legs.

Source: Poore, G.C.B. (2004) Marine decapod Crustacea of southern Australia. A guide to identification (with chapter on Stomatopoda by Shane Ahyong). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 574 pp.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Eucarida
Order:
Decapoda
Suborder:
Pleocyemata
Infraorder:
Brachyura
Family:
Plagusiidae
Genus:
Guinusia
Species:
chabrus

Other Names

  • Cleft-fronted Shore Crab

General Description

Body and legs red or red-brown with a dense clothing of hair. Carapace has four notches across the front (two of which contain the eyes) and sharp spines on the side. Up to 7 cm wide (carapace).

Biology

Red Rock Crabs are active, aggressive and one of the fastest moving crabs of southern Australian shores. Capable of dodging the waves among the sea squirts and kelp of wave-beaten coasts, they often submerge themselves in seaweed patches, under ledges or in crevices.

Habitat

Exposed coasts, in crevices at low tide level, to depth of 50 m.

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans. Along the Victorian coast.

Species Group

Crabs and allies Crabs

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

7 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Harmful

Not harmful but a nip from claws could be painful.

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 992

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Taylor, J.

Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Poore, G.C.B.

Dr. Gary Poore is Principal Curator Emeritus at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Poore, G.C.B., 2011, Red Rock Crab, Guinusia chabrus, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 30 Mar 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/4045

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