Majidae crab?-W Coast Florida

I've been diving is some rather unusual places around Florida lately.

I found this crab at a gulf beach near me here, Central-West Coast Florida.

Depth was about 10 ft. Size appx 3" across give or take some algae.

I know there is a "lumped" category of "decorator crabs" or "decorator spider crabs" - under "Majidae" crabs etc. But I wanted to know if I could get a more specific ID.

We don't see these types of crabs much off this coast; but that could be just because there is so little shore/shallow water diving near me off this coast as when the fine beach sand is stirred up (like is usually is) viz is zero. This was taken on an unusual day with brisk East winds and 20'+ ft viz. Also found were a number of lined seahorses and lots of unusual sea robins and snake eels so we do have cool stuff on this coast right off the shore! But alas, conditions dictate that you usually can't even see them much less photograph them much on this coast of Florida.

This crab was particularly interesting because you couldn't initially tell him from a clump of algae until you noticed a "rhythm" in his travels.

I'll attach 3 pics for better chance of ID. Thanks a lot, Carol

Close and claw

Face shot

Full body - just peaking out from algae

A more specific id? How about the fluffy decorator crab?

Seriously, your photos are very cool artistic shots but not good for id. Take a look at http://www.nhm.org/guana/bvi-invt/bvi-surv/crab-g02.htm to see the kind of shots a crab taxonomist wants to see. Except for the really distinctive species in situ nature shots of the full body from above plus ones showing leg & carapace details are best. Our crab curator, Jody Martin, knows the fauna from your area very well but he'd just laugh at me if I sent him these photos and asked for an id.... or maybe he'd give me that special look you give to the hopelessly clueless.....

OK, got it!!!!!

Obviously I don't know what it takes to ID a crab....

Yes, I checked out the shots in your link - hmmm all "collected" ones and talk about artistically photographed, very nice! Ok, that must be what it takes, but I'm not curious enough to collect the cool guy just to find out who he is.

And mine aren't really "artistic" shots, they were just the best and closest shots I could get of the creature with the surf surge, suspended sand, etc, algae bloom and the crab constantly approaching my lens because he "knew" I didn't recognize him. B)

Anyway Leslie thanks so much for answering - I can tell now why the decorator crabs are so often lumped under one or two headings.

Thanks, Carol

Some crabs are quite recognizable from images even if they are decorators or camoflagued by hairs. Pelia mutica, Cyclocoeloma tuberculata, the orangutan crab are good examples. The long-legged majids though are a royal pain.

Even the Guana images don't show the fine details that are often needed for id. Many of these animals had to be examined back at the museum under a microscope to be identified. The Guana Epialtus on this page (top row) http://www.nhm.org/guana/bvi-invt/bvi-surv...02/Epi-bi-p.htm were compared to specimens from the Smithsonian (middle & bottom rows, images showing species-level characters). that's why we have to collect during these biodiversity inventories. The smaller the animal, the fewer the hard parts, the more important it is to use a scope. That's why taxonomists are always groaning about trying to id animals from UW photos alone. Of course there's also the fact that UW photographers are constantly teasing us with images of animals we just know are undescribed and unobtainable. Cruel & unusual punishment, that's what it is!

Some crabs are quite recognizable from images even if they are decorators or camoflagued by hairs. Pelia mutica, Cyclocoeloma tuberculata, the orangutan crab are good examples. The long-legged majids though are a royal pain.

 

................Of course there's also the fact that UW photographers are constantly teasing us with images of animals we just know are undescribed and unobtainable. Cruel & unusual punishment, that's what it is!

Leslie - Well we try not to make you-all's life a living hell....

I see now. I don't know a lot about crab ID and I thought too, yea it looks a bit like the orangutan crab of Indonesia so it should be easy to ID from closeup photos, right? Ah, not so - as you so kindly point out here with majids!

I've witnessed that "wrestling" with fish lovers/fish spotters and scientists. For some the "cringing" comes from collecting the "poor thing"; and for some the "cringing" comes from the "wonderful thing" not being collected and IDed for nobel posterity (and proper curiosity satisfied).

No cruel and unusual punishment intended!!! I guess some creatures want to keep their secrets (e.g this crab, with the amount of algae he collected around himself I do think he had a few things he wants "not known" about himself!!)

A "crab of mystery" so to speak!

Thanks so much, Carol

He's probably part of a witness protection program, hence the camoflague.

We know you don't deliberately set out to frustrate us but some of the photos I see, well, it's like dangling candy in front of a baby then snatching it away None the less, I really appreciate all the wonderful things people post here.

And even though you say these crabs photos aren't artistic I say they are. Very impressionistic, bordering on abstract. I really do like them.

Cheers!