General Description

Carapace with dense pile of short clubbed hairs, without tufts of long hairs and with scattered sharp tubercles over anterolateral regions (8 or 9 pairs not in curved row) projecting through hairs. Up to 17 mm wide.

Biology

Whereas many crabs will attempt to escape when disturbed or captured, pilumnud crabs play dead, curling their legs up to look as inconspicuous as possible. Their camouflage makes them difficult to see even when rocks are turned. Pilumnids are among the most difficult of crabs to identify to species in southern Australia, and close attention to the structure of the first pleopod (gonopod 1) of male specimens will be required to separate some closely related species.

Habitat

Low intertidal, shallow subtidal, to 21 m depth.

Soft substrates

Reefs

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans, including southern Australia.

Species Group

Crabs and allies › Crabs

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

17 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 989

Conservation Status

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