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	Kingdom Animale | Phylum Arthropoda | Subphylum Crustacea | Class Malacostrata

Swimming Crabs Family Portunidae Order Decapoda These crabs are so named because their last pair of legs have been flattened into paddle-like structures. There are many species in sandy areas and the coral reef. Most are good swimmers, moving sideways rapidly with their pincers spread out. Two genera are Thalamita and Charybdis, the former characterised by four teeth on the margin of the shell, the latter with five. Thalamita is more common on reefs, especially the very vicious blood red species, T. spinimana. (Shell width 5-15cm). Thalamita crenata Thalamita spinimana

Introduction Shore environment

From A Guide to Seashore Life by Dr Leo W H Tan and Peter K L Ng Published by the Singapore Science Centre and sponsored by BP @Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and Singapore Science Centre