Description: This crab has a broad, brown-red carapace measuring up to 3 cm across. There are five teeth on each outer edge of the carapace. The whole crab is hairy with prominent bristles on the carapace, pincers, and legs which often causes silt to become lodged and can make this species difficult to pick out. The first pair of legs are large unequal pincers, with black tips. Walking legs are alternately banded with purple and white or grey.

Habitat: Under boulders, and amongst rocks and seaweeds on the lower shore and sublittoral down to 80 m.

Distribution: Recorded on all coasts of UK and Ireland, but very few records exist from NE coast of Scotland.

Similar Species: Unlikely to be confused with any other species.

Key Identification Features:

• Whole crab is covered in hair/prominent bristles.
• Five teeth on outer edge of carapace
• Black tips to bulky chelipeds

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

iNaturalist: Pilumnus hirtellus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Pilumnus hirtellus at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Pilumnus hirtellus (Linnaeus, 1761). AphiaID: 107418.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Arthropoda; Crustacea; Multicrustacea; Malacostraca; Eumalacostraca; Eucarida; Decapoda; Pleocyemata; Brachyura; Eubrachyura; Heterotremata; Pilumnoidea; Pilumnidae; Pilumninae; Pilumnus