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Latin Name: Ovalipes ocellatus
Species: Marine Invertebrate
Conservation Status: SNR (exotic/introduced)
Ocellate lady crabs get their name from the brown or purple leopard-like spots on their sandy exoskeleton. They have swimming legs called swimmerets. Their carapace (upper shell) measures up to three inches wide, and they have a spiny, rounded anterior (area near head).
Range & Habitat
Ocellate lady crabs prefer a sandy, intertidal habitat like the beach. They spend most of their time in the surf zone, buried in the sand, with only their eyestalks uncovered. Their range stretches up the East Coast from the Gulf of Mexico to Massachusetts.
Diet
Ocellate lady crabs are omnivorous scavengers, eating dead fish, crustaceans, and clams; however, they are also known to hunt living prey.
Life History
Female ocellate lady crabs carry their eggs in an egg sponge—an external mass on the underside of their abdomen. Planktonic (passively drifting) crab larvae spawn in early summer. They proceed through the zoea and megalopa stages, then grow into adult crabs in the fall.
Significance
Ocellate lady crabs are detritovores, meaning they clean up decaying matter. They are also a food source for seagulls and smaller fish. While they’re not food for humans, you can enjoy finding their molts on the beach or spotting their near-buried eyes in the sand.
Threats & How You Can Help
Ocellate lady crabs do not currently face any known threats.
Additional Info
Ocellate lady crabs are known to be minorly aggressive—or crabby.