Description: The triangular shaped carapace and walking legs usually have numerous hook-shaped bristles/hairs but this crab is very often covered in other epifauna, obscuring these and other features. The carapace is coloured reddish-brown usually but is often mostly hidden. Wide, u-shaped rostrum between the eyes. A small spine is visible behind each eye. The female has small pincers, while the male’s pincers are much larger. The undersides of the male’s pincers are bright pink or violet towards the middle of the arm. Walking legs are long and thin, and the first set of walking legs are noticeably thicker than the others.

Habitat: Mud, sand and rocky bottoms, from 4 m to around 350 m.

Distribution: Recorded all around Britain and Ireland.

Similar Species: Could be confused with other Inachus spp. Inachus dorsettensis has a wide U-shaped rostrum while Inachus phalangium has a narrow v-shaped rostrum and Inachus leptochirus has a narrow u-shaped rostrum.

Key Identification Features:

• Triangular shape to carapace, often covered in other fauna obscuring most of carapace, parts of pincers and legs.
• Numerous hook-shaped hairs/bristles on carapace and legs but there are often obscured by epifauna.
• Wide, u-shaped rostrum between eyes.
• First set of walking legs noticeably thicker than others.
• A section of the pincers in males is violet or bright pink in colour on the underside.

Distribution Map from NBN: Inachus dorsettensis at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Inachus dorsettensis at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Inachus dorsettensis at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Inachus dorsettensis (Pennant, 1777). AphiaID: 107327.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Arthropoda; Crustacea; Multicrustacea; Malacostraca; Eumalacostraca; Eucarida; Decapoda; Pleocyemata; Brachyura; Eubrachyura; Heterotremata; Majoidea; Inachidae; Inachinae; Inachus