Sand Crab or Blue Swimmer Crab
Portunus armatus
Features: Also called the ‘Blue Swimmer’ because males have pretty, bright claws and legs, however the female has no blue at all, and is much better camouflaged with its drabber, mottled, olive and brown colouring, and shorter claws. The long, strong spine on each side of carapace is characteristic. To 190 mm in carapace width.
Notes: Commercially important trawled species. Common in shallow, sandy-muddy inshore waters and seagrass beds. Efficient swimmer and burrower. Australia-wide; Indo-West Pacific. Previously classified as Portunus pelagicus, but that species is largely confined to SE Asia.
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