APHOTOMARINE
An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.
Macropodia rostrata (Linnaeus, 1761) - Long-legged spider crab (Crustaceans)
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Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- lateral view of rostrum 1
Macropodia rostrata
- lateral view of rostrum 1
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- lateral view of rostrum 2
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal view 1
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal view 2
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal view 3
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal front profile 1
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- claw 1
Specimen above found at Trefusis Point, Flushing, near Falmouth, Cornwall. 22.03.15.
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal view 4
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal view 5
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal view 6
Specimen above found amongst Japweed, Sargassum muticum, at Chyandour Rocks, Penzance, Cornwall. 21.05.15.
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- covered in red algae 1
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- covered in red algae 2
Specimen above found at Chimney Rocks, Penzance, Cornwall. 27.02.13.
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- dorsal view 7
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- abdomen 1
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- claw / knipper 1
Long-legged spider crab
Macropodia rostrata
- eggs 1
Specimen above found on the lowershore at Hannafore, near Looe, Cornwall. 03.03.06.
Please note, Spider crabs can be quite tricky to identify with any certainty because of a covering of algae. This means verification from images may be impossible. It may be necessary to remove some of the algae with fine tweezers in order to identify weed covered specimens using a stereomicroscope and key. It is too easy to assume specimens are the common Macropodia rostrata, when they may not be, and detailed examination is important if under-recorded species are to be found and identified.
The parasitic barnacle, Drepanorchis neglecta can be found attached to the abdomen of Macropodia species.
The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help
people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.