#ovalipes

[flighty-flycatcher]

📍 Location: Nags Head, North Carolina

🗓 Date: May 23, 2025

🐾 Media: Image

🌿 Species: Ocellate Lady Crab (Ovalipes ocellatus)

📝 Notes: Fast-moving marine crab found along sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic. Recognizable by its pale shell covered in circular “eye-like” spots (ocelli) and long legs adapted for rapid sideways movement and shallow burrowing.

Often encountered in surf zones, tidal flats, or just beneath wet sand. Capable of burying itself quickly when disturbed.

Carapace only.

🔗 iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/283457165

[drhoz]

#1586 - Ovalipes australiensis -  Common Sand Crab

A reasonably common Portunid crab in the coastal waters of southern Australia, fished both commercially and recreationally. Mostly distinguished by the two dark spots. 

[drhoz]

The sand crab (Ovalipes australiensis) occurs throughout southern Australia and is commonly found in shallow water off sandy beaches. Sand crabs have sharp pincers and have been known to pinch the feet of unsuspecting beach goers! Sand crabs are capable swimmers, using their modified back legs as paddles. The crabs in this footage were filmed off Sandy Bay Beach in the Derwent River, Tasmania, Australia.