Orange signaller crab
Metaplax elegans
- Water temperature26–30 °C
- Best monthsFebruary, April, and August
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Abu Hamas, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 2 records
- February: 18 records
- March: 12 records
- April: 21 records
- May: 17 records
- June: 16 records
- July: 12 records
- August: 24 records
- September: 16 records
- October: 16 records
- November: 14 records
- December: 12 records
Depth and water temperature
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 26–30 °C
Photos
(c) James M. Maley, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) GobyHunter, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) 林孫鋒(Lin Sun Fong), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) sucker69420, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) sucker69420, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) angryphyco, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Orange signaller crab
Names in 1 more languages
- Simplified Chinese
- 秀麗長方蟹
Other scientific names: Metaplax crassipes
Similar species
Asian shore crabHemigrapsus sanguineus
Tunneling Mud CrabAustrohelice crassa
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 1888 to 2001.
- Species data updated November 4, 2026.
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