My guide to species identification

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I decided to make a little guide to identifying crab species, since it seems that a lot of people have trouble identifying certain crabs. this guide is based on my observations and research, so I cannot guarentee that everything you read is 100% accurate, but it is legit and knowledgeable. I just thought it could help those who are confused of the species of their crab, or for those who have no idea whatsoever, to help them get an idea.here it is, my guide to crab species.Memeki’s Crab Identification PageCoenobita Clypeatus (Purple Pincers, Caribbean)Colors: most commonly tan with a purple big pincer and red/orange walking legs. Depending on their diet, they can be anywhere from dark brown to bright red, gray, orange, purple, and others.Big pincer: large and mainly rounded, keeps leftmost walking leg over big pincer when in shell, most commonly a deep purple, but not always, lacks a "stitch mark"Eyes: almost perfectly round, commonly orange on the eyestalks around the eye, normally a very dark brown eye color but can also be black or sometimes even redLegs: covered in setae (hair pores, look like little black dots), usually same color as body color but leftmost walking leg commonly a different colorBody: thin, round, and sleekAntennae: mainly dark gray or brown, usually with dark brown tipsCoenobita Compressus (Ecuadorians, E’s, Eccies)Colors: anywhere from gray to brown, tan, blue, orange, green, usually more than one colorBig pincer: a bit smaller than the pincer of C. Clypeatus but thicker toward the top, sometimes pincer is different color than walking legs, leftmost walking leg distinctly folded over pincer from below when in shell and sometimes matches the BP color, usually a “stich mark” on pincerEyes: elongated (or compressed), usually pure black but can be brown or red, eye stalks shaped like cones or candy cornLegs: usually very smooth compared to C. Clypeatus, little to no noticeable setae, tips of legs different color than the rest of crab, usually has stripes along all jointsBody: long, flat body, usually stripes on side of headAntennae: most commonly black, sometimes dark brown, commonly beige where antennae meets the bodyCoenobita Perlatus (Strawberry crabs)Colors: normally bright red, when deprived of carotene is a chalky white, when diet is rich in carotene can become very dark redBig pincer: large bump at the bottom, usually covered in white bumps, always same color as walking legs, faint "stitch mark"Eyes: elongated, very similar to eyes of C. Compressus but a bit more flat, eyestalks usually orange or yellow tinted, eyes usually the color of a hematite stone, can be brownish or olive green as wellLegs: end of each joint rather sharp and exaggerated, all legs always same color, usually covered in white bumps, same color as bodyBody: very large and a little bit flat, usually covered in white setaeAntennae: always red or orange, hue usually lightens if crab deprived of caroteneCoenobita Rugosus (Ruggies)Colors: anywhere from tan, pink, dark gray, black, beige, greenishBig pincer: somewhat oval shaped, top hinge of pincer usually very small, most distinct “stitch mark” on pincer, usually a slight "sandpaper" texture and bumpy lookEyes: very distinct shape, eyes are compressed and seem to merge right into the eyestalks, eyestalks usually perfectly parallel, eyes set far apart from one another, eye color usually blackLegs: covered in setae and what looks like “peach fuzz”, long and very thin, very flat compared to other species, usually all same color except leftmost walking leg, which is usally the same color and texture as BPBody: short and fat, sometimes different color than legs, sometimes marks on head but not as distinct as the head stripes of C. CompressusAntennae: most commonly a sandy orange but can be dark, outer antennae usually very thin