Crab gallery

Crabs of Southern Australia

Crabs are the animals that most people think of when they think of crustaceans. Crabs can be found on land - even in deserts - and down to the greatest depths of the oceans. They come in many different shapes and sizes but always have one pair of chelipeds (claws, pincers or nippers) and four pairs of walking legs. Typically crabs are wider than long and with legs enabling them to run sideways. Many are more or less triangular or spherical and move slowly in all directions.

True crabs belong to the infraorder Brachyura. Other crustaceans that look like crabs but aren't are anomurans but these have only three obvious pairs of walking legs and a more mobile abdomen. Brachyurans can be divided into as many as 50 families. Pictured above are some of the most common crab species found in Southern Australian waters.

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Feedback and queries should be sent to the Discovery Centre at Museum Victoria.
Please note, the Discovery Centre can help you only with questions about crustaceans from southeastern Australia. It can not advise on the care of pet hermit crabs or on crustaceans from other regions.