South Florida Reefs

Indo-Pacific Swimming Crab

Blue Heron Bridge, Florida

Indo-Pacific Swimming Crab

Scientific Name: Charybdis hellerii

Infraorder: Brachyura

Family: Portunidae

Subfamily: Thalamitinae

Category: Swimming Crabs

Also known as: Spiny Hands

Size: Up to 2 in. (5 cm)

Distribution: Florida, Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, Gulf of America

Note: This is an invasive species in the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

Swimming Crabs