Kraken de Mabini 168 Posted December 31, 2022 I came across this hairy spider like critter in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia last November. Can find nothing like it in the Reef Creature Identification, Tropical Pacific book by Humann and deLoach. Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TimG 62 Posted December 31, 2022 Isn't it an Orang-utan Crab, Elias: Achaeus japonicus? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisRoss 150 Posted December 31, 2022 I would think an orangutan crab, they vary in hairiness and colour, Even if it's not the exact species, likely it's in the same family, even if there's disagreement over the naming of the family. I see that the Humann and deLoach book list Orangutan crab as Oncinopus sp. and that it was formerly Achaeus japonicus and the genus ID is tentative. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kraken de Mabini 168 Posted January 1 (edited) Yes, a crab is a reasonable first approximate diagnosis. An orangutan is one of the crabs that comes to mind, but its legs are shorter, more body and definitely more hirsute than the long legged unidentified crab . For comparison below is a photo of the orangutan crab I met last month in Lembeh. The yellowish one in Humann and Deloach, p 223 mid right, is skinnier, less hair, and its genus identification is tentative. My guess is that mine is an undescribed crab, and hope maybe somebody can identify it. DSC_0830.NEF Edited January 1 by Kraken de Mabini Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
troporobo 237 Posted January 1 That’s a cool specimen for sure. I’m also leaning toward orangutan crab though possibly a variant or subspecies. It would be fun if previously I described. I noticed in Anilao they varied from burly to skinny in the same area. These two were both found near shore IIRC. The second one looks closer to yours except for color. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kraken de Mabini 168 Posted January 16 (edited) Here are photos of two hairy crabs, I took in Lembeh Strait within a few days of each other. The red crab is an orangutan crab, Oncinopus sp.1, which looks to be quite different from the yellow crab under discussion. The photos posted above by Troboporo show red hairy crabs that also look quite different from this yellow one, as their bodies are shaped differently. In addition to the different color, the yellow crab has considerably less "hair" and much longer spidery legs. This suggests the orangutan and the yellow crab are different species. Edited January 17 by Kraken de Mabini Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
