Sally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus)
Bartholomew Island
Galapagos
Ecuador
South America
Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of the Americas. It is known variously as, "red rock crab", "abuete negro", and along with crabs such as Percnon gibbesi as, "Sally Lightfoot". It is found along the Pacific coast of Mexico, Central America, South America (as far south as northern Peru), and on nearby islands, including the Galápagos Islands.
It is also found along the Atlantic coast of South America but is replaced in the eastern Atlantic Ocean (Ascension Island and West Africa) by its congener Grapsus adscensionis.
Grapsus grapsus is a typically shaped crab, with five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae. The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching the substrate. The crab's round, flat carapace is slightly longer than 8 centimetres (3.1 in).
Adults are quite variable in colour; some are muted brownish red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow.
This crab lives amongst the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the sea spray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling other plant matter and dead animals. It is a quick-moving and agile crab, and hard to catch. Not considered very edible by humans, it is used as bait by fishermen. G. grapsus has been observed in an apparent cleaning symbiosis taking ticks from marine iguanas on the Galápagos Islands. – Wikipedia
Sally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus)
Bartholomew Island
Galapagos
Ecuador
South America
Grapsus grapsus is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of the Americas. It is known variously as, "red rock crab", "abuete negro", and along with crabs such as Percnon gibbesi as, "Sally Lightfoot". It is found along the Pacific coast of Mexico, Central America, South America (as far south as northern Peru), and on nearby islands, including the Galápagos Islands.
It is also found along the Atlantic coast of South America but is replaced in the eastern Atlantic Ocean (Ascension Island and West Africa) by its congener Grapsus adscensionis.
Grapsus grapsus is a typically shaped crab, with five pairs of legs, the front two bearing small, blocky, symmetrical chelae. The other legs are broad and flat, with only the tips touching the substrate. The crab's round, flat carapace is slightly longer than 8 centimetres (3.1 in).
Adults are quite variable in colour; some are muted brownish red, some mottled or spotted brown, pink, or yellow.
This crab lives amongst the rocks at the often turbulent, windy shore, just above the limit of the sea spray. It feeds on algae primarily, sometimes sampling other plant matter and dead animals. It is a quick-moving and agile crab, and hard to catch. Not considered very edible by humans, it is used as bait by fishermen. G. grapsus has been observed in an apparent cleaning symbiosis taking ticks from marine iguanas on the Galápagos Islands. – Wikipedia