Small Arched Box Crab, Calappula saussurei

Small Arched Box Crab, Calappa saussurei. Crab provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, October 2009. Size: 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) x 2.5 cm (1.0 inch).

General information: The Small Arched Box Crab, Calappa saussurei, is one of thirty-nine members of the Calappidae or Box Crab Family known in Mexico as cangrejo cajeta bolas. In Mexico it is known as cajeta bola pequeña.

Identification: The Small Arched Box Crab has a moderately convex rectangular carapace with surface granulate, irregularly tuberculate that are bright orange and the carapace is orange-brown in color. Each chelae has 5 granulate horizontal rows of tubercles on the external surface. The carapace is orange-brown in color. The shell is 1.25 times wider than it is long. At the base of the shell, on both sides are a series of five triangularly shaped teeth. The claws are unique with only one true claw that lacks teeth and the second being apart of the arm. The Small Arched Box Crab reach a maximum of 5.0 cm (2.0 inches) in width.

Habitat and Range: The Small Arched Box Crab is found in and within all types of terrain except soft sand between the intertidal zone and depths of 213 meters (700 feet). In Mexican waters they are found from Magdalena Bay south along the Pacific Coast of the Baja, throughout the Sea of Cortez and along the coast of the mainland southward to Guatemala.

Diet: The diet of  the Small Arched Box Crabs is not well known but  like most crabs they are likely opportunistic omnivores feeding on decaying organic matter and other small invertebrates.

Conservation Status: From a conservation perspective the Small Arched Box Crab has not been formally evaluated. However, they are common and of limited interest to most and should be considered to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Calappa saussurei