Mole crabs – Christmas 2023  (Ashley Palmer)

These crabs were found by Ashley Palmer on a hot summer’s night in the wash zone above the surf. We had never seen them before so asked The Queensland Museum Discovery Centre. They advised:

These are Mole Crabs from the family Hippidae. These crabs often live buried in the sand in shallow intertidal waters. Unfortunately this means they have been rarely studied throughout the world, but three genera are currently described in the Australian region: Hippa, Mastigochirus and Emerita.

Thanks, Museum.