what is this?

[Hellvet]

wow - that was quick!

guess its a crab then cos everyone seems to agree - but ive never seen one that tiny and with such long legs!

the Marlin website looks good too - guess this was the place to ask eh?

The piccy was taken in Falmouth river on sunday while i was surrounded by thornback rays and spider crabs (now those i know!) so it makes sense - it just didn't look like one!

[rooster]

Generally (and not surprisingly!) the Common Spider Crab is a more frequent sight on the south coast, so when you say it is a Spider Crab dont be surprised if they tell you it doesn't look like one.

Wow them with your knowledge by pointing out that they are different species......

[resting rifleman]

dunno what their name is, but sometimes thousands of them drop out of pots stacked on deck beetween hauling and shooting and have to be swept/deckwashed out through the scuppers before you can get on with the next string.

[Noel Johnson]

Hi,

Initial thought is Leach's spider crab

http://www.decapod.tv/servlet/client...ow&recordid=98

The second one down looks very similar.

HTH

Noel

[rooster]

My reasoning for thinking it is not a Leach's is that the pincers on these tend to be larger and more pronounced than on the crab in HellVet's picture.

Perhaps a Marine Zoologist will be along any second to tell us what it is?

[MAD]

Pretty much, without a doubt given where it was seen it's a Long Legged Spider Crab (Macropodia rostrata)



I may be wrong, but pretty sure.

It's a very close relative of the arrow crabs you see in much warmer waters...

You were lucky to spot it, they are very elusive. They can be free swimming like the one you saw (which is the best time to spot them) or covered with weed a little like a very small decorator crab.

Mark

[Hellvet]

see now i'm convinced - that looks really similar!