Natal lightfoot crab
Grapsus tenuicrustatus
- Usual depth0–1 m
- Water temperature25–29 °C
- Best monthsMarch, May, and July
- How commonCommon
Photo credit: (c) Abu Hamas, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Abu Hamas · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
About this species
Grapsus tenuicrustatus, commonly known as thin-shelled rock crab or Natal lightfoot crab, is a species of decapod crustacean in the family Grapsidae.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Grapsus tenuicrustatus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
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Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 583 records
- February: 526 records
- March: 754 records
- April: 619 records
- May: 692 records
- June: 668 records
- July: 708 records
- August: 612 records
- September: 547 records
- October: 544 records
- November: 548 records
- December: 617 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 0–1 m · Deepest record: 1 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 25–29 °C
Photos
(c) Cricket Raspet, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Zach Earl, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Takaaki Hattori, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Henrik Kibak, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Norma Malinowski, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) florawhite, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Jenni Ly, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Natal lightfoot crab, Natal Rock Crab, Thin-shelled Rock Crab
Names in 6 more languages
- German
- Brandungs-Felsenkrabbe
- Spanish
- Cangrejo de roca
- French
- Crabe coureur commun
- Japanese
- オオイワガニ
- Thai
- ปูแสมแกละเปลือกบาง
- Simplified Chinese
- 細紋方蟹
Other scientific names: Cancer ballantei, Cancer tenuicrustatus, Grapse rude, Grapsus gracilipes, Grapsus gracillimus, Grapsus hirtus, Grapsus pharaonis, Grapsus rude, Grapsus rudis
Similar species
Cliff crabGrapsus grapsus
Mottled lightfoot crabGrapsus albolineatus
Purple Rock CrabLeptograpsus variegatus
Purple Climber CrabMetopograpsus frontalis
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 1,102 open-data records from 1783 to 2023.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
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