Crabs are species from the marine world, which are part of coastal cuisines and delicacies in various countries. The word “crab” specifically reminds us of exotic dishes from different countries and also the star sign “Cancer”. In scientific terms, crabs are also called as decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura. There are thousands of crab species available on planet Earth. Definitely, few of them are amazingly beautiful and a sense of delight to the eyes. We have explored some of the most amazingly beautiful crabs you didn’t know part of our planet. We have created a list of ten stunningly beautiful crabs here for you.
10. Palawan Purple Crab (Insulamon palawanense)
These purple crabs are a recent discovery around 2012 in Indonesia. They are distinguished by their striking purple color. These crabs grow up to 5 cm long. Additionally, the crab’s purple coloration can simply win the hearts of millions. The Palawan purple crab is native to the islands of Palawan. The purple crabs in Palawan are widely spread and they can be simply mesmerizing to glance them in a huge crowd.
9. Zebra Crab (Zebrida)
We love Zebras! Zebra Crabs have zebra-like stripes on their body, which makes them easy to distinguish among aquatic animals. The most fascinating thing about this animal is they live in association with sea urchins. The zebra crabs reside majorly in Indo-Pacific. They are known to exhibit unique patterns and are known to be “unusual”. A distinctive pattern of exoskeletal stripes makes them shout out of their beauty.
8. Hermit Crab
Hermit crabs are real strong fellows because they shoulder a huge shell on their back. They are richly orange or reddish in color. They use the shells to protect themselves from sea snails as their inner body is too delicate and soft. Further, one cannot deny their beauty personified in their fantastic shell. Furthermore, the crab species can live between 12 and 70 years. They are known to grow up to the size of a coconut
7. Moon Crab (Gecarcinus quadratus)
Thanks to the photographer to get such a great angle and exquisite picture of this crab. They are distinguished by the color patterns on their body, with light shades of the same colors away from their body. These crabs are also called as Halloween crabs, because of their Halloween type masks. They are mostly found in coasts of Mexico and Panama. They have also joked as mouth-less crabs.
6. Rainbow Swimming Crab (Charybdis erythrodactyla)
Rainbow swimming crab is named because of its color variations; they have all the colors from a typical rainbow. Additionally, they have dark bluish neon type eyes and are a beauty to watch. Further, most of their kind reside in Australia and east of New Caledonia. Furthermore, Rainbow swimming crabs are awesome swimmers. While mostly they stay buried under sand or mud, the Rainbow swimming crabs cannot stay for longer outside water.
5. Pebble Crab (Leucosia anatum)
Also recognized as “gorilla crabs, mud crabs or rubble crabs”, the pebble crabs are one of the most impressive crabs from across the globe. As the name suggests, these crabs are difficult to distinguish between the deep ocean pebbles. Additionally, they have a strongly convex and elongated body with rich marble and pebble textures. Nice patterns and drawings on their body make it an eye candy to watch. Some of the pebble crab species are highly poisonous and one should stay away from falling on their stings. Finally, the toxin can be comparable to that of a pufferfish.
4. Purple Rock Crab (Leptograpsus variegatus)
If you are fond of the color purple, then this crab is going to delight you. Purple rock crabs have shades of purple color all over their body. They are large-eyed crabs that grow up to 2 inches in length. They are a beauty to watch. Additionally, the purple rock crabs are known to reside majorly in the southern subtropical Indo-Pacific Oceans. Further, they grow up to 2 inches in width and does not contain hair on their body. The shell is smooth and vibrant, which makes them stand unique on the list.
3. Trapezia Rufopunctata
Trapezia Rufopunctata is a complex name to spell, but this crab is beautiful. Especially, the female crab is a beauty to watch. They generally grow to a size of 5 cm with clawed legs and have a spectacular body drawing. They have reddish and pinkish spots on their body, which range from 100 to 200
2. Sally Lightfoot Crab (Grapsus grapsus)
Sally Lightfoot crab also is known as Grapsus grapsus which are found in the coasts of the Americas (Specifically Galapagos). If you are a lover of bright dark colors, then this crab is for you. These crabs are distinguished by dark red shades and dark shades of stripes on their body. The dark red colors fade to white at certain places on their legs.
1. Porcelain Crab
Porcelain crab, as you can see in the image above has distinguishable bright brown dots with a white background. These crabs are flat animals with a body width of about 15 millimeters. They are known for their stunning beautiful colors and they resemble an object made out of silica.