Variable pillbox crab

Halicarcinus varius

Crustaceans
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth0–15 m
Water temperature12–23 °C
Best monthsJanuary, August, and October
How commonRare

All species

Photo credit: (c) Kelvin Perrie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kelvin Perrie · CC BY · iNaturalist

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 18 records
February: 12 records
March: 4 records
April: 6 records
May: 12 records
June: 11 records
July: 15 records
August: 19 records
September: 11 records
October: 20 records
November: 18 records
December: 8 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 0–15 m · Deepest record: 20 m

0–10 m: 80 records
10–20 m: 11 records
20–30 m: 3 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 12–23 °C

10–12 °C: 4 records
12–14 °C: 25 records
14–16 °C: 6 records
16–18 °C: 56 records
18–20 °C: 1 records
20–22 °C: 2 records
22–24 °C: 1 records

Photos

no rights reserved, uploaded by Tyler McBeth · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
(c) Saryu Mae 前朝琉, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) M Rutherford, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Hilary Rose Dawson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Shaun Lee, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) Kelvin Perrie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Variable pillbox crab

Other scientific names: Hymenicus Edwardsii, Hymenicus marmoratus, Hymenicus novizealandiae, Hymenicus varius

Similar species

Three-pronged Spider Crab
Halicarcinus ovatus
Cook's Pillbox Crab
Halicarcinus cookii
Flattened Crab
Halicarcinus planatus
Flat Pillbox Crab
Halicarcinus quoyi
Estuarine Pillbox Crab
Halicarcinus whitei
Tong's Pillbox Crab
Halicarcinus tongi

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.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
121 open-data records from 1906 to 2020.
Species data updated November 3, 2026.

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