Mud crab
Arthropoda – Malacostraca
Distribution:
There are two species of mud crab found in Western Australia, Green and Brown. Green mud crabs can grow up to a 300 mm shell width and 2.5 kgs. Brown mud crabs can grow up to 150 mm shell width and 1.5 kgs. Known for their big claws, mud crabs belong to a group of crabs that have the last pair of legs flattened for swimming. They have a smooth carapace (outer shell). To grow they moult; shedding their old shell once they’ve grown a new bigger one.
Did you know?
If a mud crab loses a claw it can grow back a new one!
In This Section
- Chordates – Animals with backbones
- Invertebrates – Animals without backbones
- Abalone
- Acorn barnacle
- Baler shell
- Blue button sea jelly
- Bluebottle
- Bryozoan
- Bubbler crabs and sand balls
- Chiton
- Cone shell
- Coral
- Cowry shell
- Crab
- Cuttlebone
- Goose barnacle
- Hermit crabs
- Horned ghost crab (Manburr)
- Limpet
- Mud crab
- Mussel
- Periwinkle
- Pipi
- Ram’s horn shell
- Razor clam
- Sand dollars
- Scallop
- Sea hare
- Sea hares
- Sea jelly
- Sea star
- Sea urchin
- Silver-lip pearl oyster
- Sponge
- Tube worm
- Turban snail
- Violet snail
- Marine Pests
- Seagrasses and Algae
- Unusual Finds