Box crab

Scientific name : Calappa calappa

Smooth, convex carapace, with side expansions covering the legs. Large compressed claws. Variable colour, uniform light brown sometimes covered with dark spots. Carapace lenght 15 cm. Active at night, when threatened it hides quickly buring under the sand. It feeds on mollusks, breaking the shell between the claws and the chest.
More Calappa species live in our area. Calappa calappa is distinguished from Calappa hepatica and Calappa philargius by the colour and by the shape of carapace, with the typical smooth edged side expansions.

	Description	Author	Place	Size
	Calappa calappa	DANIELE IOP	Indonesia, Lembeh strait	825 kB