Green rock crab cruising in a rock pool. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Very similar to the Natal rock crab in structure, but dull khaki-green tinged with yellow and with pale nippers. The sides of its carapace are almost straight, not obviously convex as in the Natal rock crab. About… Continue reading Green rock crab (Grapsus fourmanoiri)
Category: Arthropods
Natal rock crab (Grapsus tenuicrustatus)
Natal rock crab waiting for the waves on rock boulders. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Carapace black, usually speckled with green. Sides obviously convex. The posterior part of the carapace has about eight fine grooves that run outwards to the edge. Legs red-brown and yellow. Nippers dark red. 'Hand' weakly… Continue reading Natal rock crab (Grapsus tenuicrustatus)
Toothed barnacle (Chthamalus dentatus)
Toothed barnacles on a rock face. Cape Agulhas, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist A small, flat, dirty-white barnacle with a membranous (not calcareous) base. The projecting, finger-like ridges on the six shell plates produce the characteristic star-shaped outline. Between 5 - 10 mm. Common in the upper intertidal, especially on the South and East coasts.… Continue reading Toothed barnacle (Chthamalus dentatus)
Grey volcano barnacle (Tetraclita serrata)
Close-up of a grey volcano barnacle. Mouille Point, Cape Town, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Tall, dark-grey and volcano-shaped, with only four strongly-ribbed shell plates, the edges of which are difficult to distinguish. About 20 mm. One of the dominant invertebrates in the mid-intertidal zone of moderately sheltered shores. Two Oceans: A Guide to the… Continue reading Grey volcano barnacle (Tetraclita serrata)
Longhorn sea-slater (Ligia glabrata)
Sea-slaters on the underside of a boulder. Jacobsbaai, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist An air-breathing species with a broad, flattened, smooth body. Antennae are longer than in Ligia dilatata, reaching the end of the thorax. Pleon segments not fused, and end of the telson rounded. Uropods rod-like and projecting well beyond the body. Up to… Continue reading Longhorn sea-slater (Ligia glabrata)
Shore crab (Cyclograpsus punctatus)
Small crab in a rock crevice. Jacobsbaai, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Carapace very smooth, except for a granular 'chest'. Sides of carapace convex, lacking marginal teeth, although a single low tooth lies just outside each eye. Nippers smooth. Body black or dark brown near the front, blending into a grey-green network towards the back.… Continue reading Shore crab (Cyclograpsus punctatus)
Cape rock crab (Guinusia chabrus)
Crab hiding under a boulder. Hondeklipbaai, Northern Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Formerly known as Plagusia chabrus. Carapace smooth and velvety in texture, with two notches between the eyes that house the first antennae, and three marginal teeth. Colour red-brown, with orange-yellow ridges on the legs, and rows of yellow tubercles on the nippers. About 50… Continue reading Cape rock crab (Guinusia chabrus)
Common sand hermit crab (Diogenes brevirostris)
Adult hermit crab walking around. Cape Agulhas, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Body dirty-white with darker speckles and spines. Brown stripes on last segments of walking legs. Left nipper thorny and much larger than the right. About 30 mm. Endemic to South Africa. Extremely common on sheltered sandbanks and in sandy pools. Buries in sand… Continue reading Common sand hermit crab (Diogenes brevirostris)
Eight-shell barnacle (Octomeris angulosa)
Old barnacle at the edge of a mussel bed (blue mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis), with the circle of apertures forming at its base. Yzerfontein, Western Cape (2020). Moderately large with eight shell plates extremely rugged, irregular, massive, generally much corroded, steeply conical or even sub-cylindrical. Colour dirty-white, often slightly tinted yellow from the investing membrane, and… Continue reading Eight-shell barnacle (Octomeris angulosa)
F*CK FISH 