Scorpion spider crab

Inachus dorsettensis

Crustaceans
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth10–95 m
Water temperature8–26 °C
Best monthsAugust and September
How commonCommon

Photo credit: (c) Bernard Picton, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

Inachus dorsettensis, commonly known as the scorpion spider crab, is a species of crab generally found on loose substrates from 6 metres (20 ft) depth down to about 100 m (330 ft).

Text from the Wikipedia article “Scorpion spider crab”, 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: 263 records
February: 99 records
March: 379 records
April: 151 records
May: 336 records
June: 391 records
July: 356 records
August: 899 records
September: 555 records
October: 124 records
November: 41 records
December: 162 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 10–95 m · Deepest record: 616 m

0–10 m: 271 records
10–20 m: 679 records
20–30 m: 595 records
30–40 m: 457 records
40–50 m: 175 records
50–60 m: 154 records
60–70 m: 94 records
70–80 m: 111 records
80–90 m: 118 records
90–100 m: 105 records
100–110 m: 40 records
110+ m: 241 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 8–26 °C

6–8 °C: 1 records
8–10 °C: 21 records
10–12 °C: 399 records
12–14 °C: 442 records
14–16 °C: 3 records
16–18 °C: 8 records
18–20 °C: 38 records
20–22 °C: 4 records
22–24 °C: 3 records
24–26 °C: 0 records
26–28 °C: 1 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Scorpion spider crab, scorpion spider crab, Scorpion Spider Crab

Names in 2 more languages

German: Kurzkopfige Gespensterkrabbe
French: Crabe-araignée scorpion, crabe fantôme, Crabe fantôme (Le), Inachus scorpion (L')

Other scientific names: Cancer dodecos, Cancer dorsettensis, Cancer scorpio, Inachus scorpio

Similar species

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).
5,123 open-data records from 1776 to 2024.
Species data updated November 3, 2026.

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