Hawaiian 'A 'ama Crabs

by Deborah League

Title

Hawaiian 'A 'ama Crabs

Artist

Deborah League

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Hawaiian 'A 'ama crabs, Oahu, Hawaii. In this image, the molted shells of two crabs were poised as if they were fighting on the lava rock shoreline with the beautiful Pacific ocean in the background.

The thin-shelled rock crab, also known as Grapsus tenicrustatus, rock crab and natal lightfoot crab, can be found among rocky outcrops which allow a quick escape from danger. The fast-moving crabs are often seen at the tideline on rocky shores scavenging for anything they can find to eat, dead or alive. While alive, the crabs are typically black, but as shown here, it's not uncommon to find molted shells in a reddish-brown color. This is because the chromatophores, or pigment-bearing cells are no longer alive, leaving the shell to reveal its natural coloration.

Uploaded

January 30th, 2024

Colors

Embed

Share

Tags