Philippines Photo Gallery: Anilao crabs

We took an underwater photography trip to the Philippines in December 2016.

Crabs are decapod crustaceans.

Sea spider crab, Nymphon sp., with egg mass

crab spider

red-spotted guard crab, Trapezia cymodoce

crab

crab

Procelain crabs superficially resemble true crabs but are related to squat lobsters. They have three rather than four pairs of walking legs.

Porcelain crabs, Neopetrolisthes maculatus

porcelain crab porcelain crab

Hermit crabs have an asymmetrical soft abdomen that is concealed in a scavenged gastropod shell carried by the crab.

Bristled hermit crab, Dardanus megistos

hermit crab hermit crab

anemone hermit crab, Dardanus pendurculatus

anemone hermit crab

hermit crabhermit crab

Decorator crabs use material from their environment to hide from or ward off predators.

Decorator crabs, Camposcia retusa

decorator crab

corallimorph decortor crab, Cyclocoeloma tuberculata

decorator crab

Squat lobsters hold their long tails curled under the thorax. They are related to hermit crabs and porcelain crabs.

squat lobster squat lobster

Pink squat lobster, Lauriea siagiani

squat lobster

Zebra crabs live in association with Indo-Pacific sea urchins. The last segment of each leg forms a hook to hold onto sea urchin spines.

Zebra crabs, Zebrida adamsii

zebra crab zebra crab

Spider (wire coral) crab, Xenocarcinus cf tuberculatus

spider crab


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Last modified 2 Msrch 2017