
Pleated rock crab
Pachygrapsus plicatus
- Usual depth1–3 m
- Water temperature23–29 °C
- Best monthsMay, June, and July
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) aross0805, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Pachygrapsus plicatus is a species of small shore crabs in the family Grapsidae.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Pachygrapsus plicatus”, 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: 13 records
- February: 20 records
- March: 12 records
- April: 27 records
- May: 35 records
- June: 40 records
- July: 33 records
- August: 30 records
- September: 26 records
- October: 21 records
- November: 13 records
- December: 13 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 1–3 m · Deepest record: 3 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 23–29 °C
Photos

(c) Gabriel, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Jenni Ly, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Jenni Ly, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Pleated rock crab, pleated rock crab
Names in 3 more languages
- French
- Crabe de rocher plissé
- Japanese
- コイワガニ
- Simplified Chinese
- 褶痕厚紋蟹
Other scientific names: Grapsus kraussi, Grapsus plicatus, Pachygrapsus kraussi, Pachygrapsus natalensis, Pachygrapsus striatus
Similar species
Striped shore crabPachygrapsus crassipes

Tiny Rock CrabPachygrapsus minutus
Hairy-fingered Rock CrabPachygrapsus planifrons
- Polynesian grapsid crab
Pachygrapsus fakaravensis
Cliff crabGrapsus grapsus
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).
- 158 open-data records from 1837 to 2012.
- Species data updated November 5, 2026.
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