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Field guide to marine inhabitants - Invertebrates

Family: Inachidae

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Photo Courtesy of “Volusia County Reef Research Dive Team”

Yellowline Arrow Crab
Prepared by Andrea Wisniewski

Stenorhynchus seticornis

Range: Abundant in the tropical Atlantic, around Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. It is found in shallow waters among corals, rocks, calcareous algae, over sand and in depths of up to 180 m.

Similar Species: The long, spider-like legs of S. seticornis make it easily identifiable when compared with other Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico crabs.

Identification: The Yellowline Arrow Crabs’ coloration is reddish brown on the carapace (shell) and walking legs, and the claws are a smooth purplish grey. The eight, spider-like legs can sometimes be three times as long as its body. This is an extremely small crab species, with a carapace rarely exceeding 1 cm in width.

Note: S. seticornis are nocturnal animals that scavenge for food during the nighttime. This species does not fear divers who try to take photos of them, but can be quite territorial towards other animals.

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