APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

Scroll down and rollover titles to change screen image or click on title to view image.

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- long swept up rostrum 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- long swept up rostrum 2

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- dorsal view rostrum 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- dorsal view rostrum 2

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- dorsal view carapace 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- abdomen 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- whole claw / cheliped 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- claw / propodus 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- hook of rear right leg 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- dorsal view crab 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- with 1.0mm division rule 1

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- with 1.0mm division rule 2

Slender spider crab
Macropodia tenuirostris
- with 1.0mm division rule 3

The specimen above was found in debris from crab potting which was passed to the author at Newlyn Marina, Newlyn, Cornwall, 17.07.17. The images are of a dead specimen.

Specimen sent to the Natural History Museum in London and species was was verified by Dr. Paul Clark.

Please note, Spider crabs can be quite tricky to identify with any certainty because of a covering of algae. This means verification from images may be impossible. It may be necessary to remove some of the algae with fine tweezers in order to identify weed covered specimens using a stereomicroscope and key. It is too easy to assume specimens are the common Macropodia rostrata, when they may not be, and detailed examination is important if under-recorded species are to be found and identified.

The parasitic barnacle, Drepanorchis neglecta can be found attached to the abdomen of Macropodia species.

The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help

people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.