Common Spider / Decorator
Crab (Libinia emarginata)
Spider crabs are characterized by their four pairs of
long, slender, almost spider-like walking legs that can be over 6
inches long. The carapace or outer shell is triangular in
shape, about four inches long, rough in texture with nine small spines
along the top and brownish yellow in color.  The two front
legs, called chelipeds, are modified with pincers that are used to
catch prey such as sea stars, sponges and algae. The very
tips of the pincers are often white in color.
Spider crabs are also known as decorator crabs because of their
tendency to attach small plants, animals and even marine debris to
their carapace and legs. These
“decorations” are positioned using their pincers,
and attached to hooked hairs, similar to Velcro, present on the body
and legs of the crab. This decorating technique helps to
camouflage the crab to help it hide from predators.
These crabs can be found along the shore, from rocky to sandy bottoms,
to depths up to 160 feet. They are fairly slow moving and can
be handled, but watch out for their strong pinching claws! It
is best to try and gently pin the crab to the ground with your hand
before trying to pick it up.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 08 March 2008 )
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