Harbour Crab Liocarcinus depurator

Harbour Crab
Harbour Crab
Harbour Crab
The Harbour Crab is native to rocky, shallow coasts of the northeastern Atlantic from Norway to the western Sahara including the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Sometimes called the Sandy Swimming Crab, it is one of several "swimming crabs" whose back legs are flatter to assist in swimming. Usually orange-brown in colour, it has a distinguishing feature of two curved white lines or rows of spots on its carapace.
Shanny, Common Blenny and Sandy Swimming Crab
Common Blenny and Harbour Crab
Shanny and Harbour Crab
It grows to 5cm (2 inches) wide. A feisty crab, there was an altercation with a Blenny (Shanny) when a Harbour Crab put a leg into the Shanny's rock crevice as it jumped across.
Harbour Crab
Harbour Crab
Harbour Crab
It also rose up to nip at a wrasse which invaded its personal space. Its carapace has 5 pointed spines each side of the eyes and 3 rounded, small arches between the eyes.