General Description

Carapace wider than long, dorsal surface with few or many setae, becoming a dense band of long setae marginally and extending on to front and sides of carapace. Eyes embedded in orbits, moveable, cornea well formed. Anterolateral margins of carapace divided by notches into lobes. Dark dirty grey. Up to 2.5 cm wide.

Biology

Hairy crabs of the family Pilumnidae are slow-moving crabs more or less covered with a mat of hairs or velvet and often appearing dirty because of the mud trapped on the hairs. Bearded crabs are a commonly encountered pilumnid in dredge samples in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port in Victoria. Unlike other pilumnids there are few hairs dorsally.

Habitat

Common under rocks and rubble on sheltered reefs, and in mussel clumps on muddy sandflats, to 70 m depth.

Reefs

Soft substrates

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans, including south-eastern Australia.

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

25 mm

Diet

Organic matter

Harmful

Not harmful but a nip from large claws could be painful

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 988

Conservation Status

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