Smooth Red-Eyed Crab

Eriphia sebana

The Smooth Red-eyed Crab, a member of the family Eriphiidae, is distinguished by its oval carapace covered with tubercles and a frontal margin adorned with six or more spines. This crustacean features unequal pincers, with the larger master claw equipped with molariform teeth, ideal for crushing the shells of snails and hermit crabs. Typically reaching a maximum length of 8.0 cm, this species is primarily found in the Indo-Pacific region, spanning from Japan and China to Southeast Asia, and extending westward to Australia, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, reaching as far as India, Oman, and East Africa. Inhabiting shallow waters, the Smooth Red-eyed Crab is commonly found within rock crevices or coral reefs, often in intertidal zones or on algal mats. It is known for its aggressive and nocturnal behavior, making it more active during the night. This crab is benthic, living on the ocean floor in tropical and subtropical climates, and has been observed on mangrove trees. Its diet includes mollusks, as it is capable of opening large Turbo shells to extract terrestrial hermit crabs like Coenobita perlatus. The Smooth Red-eyed Crab exhibits a unique mating behavior typical of the order Decapoda, involving a precopulatory courtship ritual that utilizes olfactory and tactile cues, followed by indirect sperm transfer. While it is collected for food in some regions, it is occasionally mildly poisonous. The conservation status of this species has not been evaluated by the IUCN.