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Flame Box Crab
Sep 14, between dive sites La Machaca and Reef Scientifico. Calappa is a genus of crabs known commonly as box crabs or shame-faced crabs. The name box crab comes from their distinctly bulky carapace, and the name shame-faced is from anthropomorphising the way the crab's chelae (claws) fold up and cover its face, as if it were hiding its face in shame.
The carapace of this crab is rounded in front, almost straight behind. The hind margins form a thin roof over the legs, partially covering them. The large claws are flattened, triangular, with a crest above, and the fingers are strongly bent downwards.
The color is grayish with markings of purplish-brown on the carapace and bandings on the legs.
Size: carapace up to 10 cm. wide.
Habitat:
This crab inhabits sandy bottoms
Depth: ranges from 1 m down to 15 m.
Distribution:
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