Arrow Crab

ID points

• Carapace a sharp triangle, with a long spiny snout
• Eight wire-thin walking legs, several times the length of the body
• Claw tips usually violet-blue

Basics

Family

Inachidae

Length

5–10 cm

Depth

1-50 m

Regions

Caribbean & W. Atlantic

Distribution

Coral reefs of the Caribbean

Habitat

Caribbean coral reefs

Diet

Detritus and small invertebrates

Easily confused with

Spider CrabExtremely long legs, spanning over three metres side to sideCleaner ShrimpA white stripe down the middle of the back, bright red on either sideCone SnailCone-shaped shell patterned like printed cloth

Fun fact

A triangular body with wildly exaggerated proportions: the thread-thin legs are several times longer than the body itself. It looks like something out of science fiction and spends its time among cracks in the reef.