Frog crab

Appearance

It may grow up to 150 millimetres long, and may weigh up to 900 grams . The carapace is wider at the front, reddish brown in color, with ten white spots. ''Ranina ranina'' is mainly nocturnal, and remains buried in the sand during the day. ''Ranina ranina'' is easily distinguished from other crab species in its habitat due to its red carapace and elongated midsection.

Distribution

Spanner crabs inhabit coastal waters along the east coast of Australia, from Yeppoon in Queensland to the North coast of New South Wales. There is also a population to the north of Perth in Western Australia. ''Ranina ranina'' is abundant in the coastal waters of south-western Mindanao, Philippines. These crabs are also found in the eastern coast of Africa, across the Indian Ocean to Indonesia, Japan and Hawaii and Vietnam.

''Ranina ranina'' inhabits depths of 10–100 metres on sandy-smooth substrata in which they bury themselves from where they attack small bottom-dwelling fish. When waiting for prey, ''Ranina ranina'' will cover itself with sand, but leave its eye and mouthparts sticking out to help detect its food. Offshore areas within this range in a subtropical or tropical environment serves as a habitat for ''Ranina ranina'', but they must have ample sand for ''Ranina ranina'' to flourish, as covering themselves in sand is instrumental in their method of catching prey.

Habitat

Spanner crabs inhabit coastal waters along the east coast of Australia, from Yeppoon in Queensland to the North coast of New South Wales. There is also a population to the north of Perth in Western Australia. ''Ranina ranina'' is abundant in the coastal waters of south-western Mindanao, Philippines. These crabs are also found in the eastern coast of Africa, across the Indian Ocean to Indonesia, Japan and Hawaii and Vietnam.

''Ranina ranina'' inhabits depths of 10–100 metres on sandy-smooth substrata in which they bury themselves from where they attack small bottom-dwelling fish. When waiting for prey, ''Ranina ranina'' will cover itself with sand, but leave its eye and mouthparts sticking out to help detect its food. Offshore areas within this range in a subtropical or tropical environment serves as a habitat for ''Ranina ranina'', but they must have ample sand for ''Ranina ranina'' to flourish, as covering themselves in sand is instrumental in their method of catching prey.