Myomenippe hardwickii
Carapace ovate with a few regions defined, frontal region with six lobes, prominent medial notch. Inner margin of eye completely enclosed and without a gap so that the antennal flagellum is excluded from the orbit. Anterolateral margin with four teeth. Chelipeds strong and nearly equal in size with granules on the carpus and propodus. Walking legs laterally compressed and with setae. Male abdomen somites 3-5 are moveable.
Vernacular name: Thunder crab.
The green eyes of this species are diagnostic. They are large and ubiquitous animals occurring in all manner of habitats, but usually in areas with some brackish water influence. They have large claws used to crush prey, and are sometimes collected for food.
Order Decapoda Latreille, 1802
Infraorder Brachyura Latreille, 1802
Section Eubrachyura de Saint Laurent, 1980
Subsection Heterotremata Guinot, 1977
Superfamily Xanthoidea, MacLeay, 1838
Family Eriphiidae MacLeay, 1838
Subfamily Menippinae Ortmann, 1893
Myomenippe hardwickii (Gray, 1831)
East Coast of Africa, Mauritius, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Borneo.
Intertidal to shallow subtidal, found under rocks or in hollow logs.