Hairy Red Hermit Crab (species: Dardanus lagopodes) in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Dardanus lagopodes
Hairy Red Hermit Crab


©Anne Hoggett: Dardanus lagopodes off Coconut Beach, Lizard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: Dardanus lagopodes off Coconut Beach, Lizard Island. The base of the snail shell is about 6 cm diameter.

©Anne Hoggett: Dardanus lagopodes at Pidgin Point, Lizard Island.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Malacostraca
Order Decapoda
Family Diogenidae
Genus Dardanus
Species Dardanus lagopodes

Colours

                                                 

Distinguishing features

Legs purple, brown and white with long red/brown hairs; dark charcoal knee patches on walking legs; yellow flash below eyes on the long white ocular peduncles; yellowish antennae.

Eye colour of Lizard Island specimens seems to be consistently black. Graham McMartin has noted that it can vary black and bright blue in this species (correspondence, Jan 2023).

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Similar taxa

Distribution

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Jones, D.S. and G.J. Morgan (1994). A Field Guide to Crustaceans of Australian Waters Reed, Sydney. ISBN: 0 7301 0403 6.