Yellowline arrow crab facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stenorhynchus seticornis |
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Inachidae
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Stenorhynchus
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S. seticornis
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| Stenorhynchus seticornis (Herbst, 1788)
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The arrow crab, known scientifically as Stenorhynchus seticornis, is a cool creature found in the ocean. It gets its name because its body looks like a triangle, and it has very long, thin legs.
These crabs can grow up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) wide. Their main body shell, called a carapace, can be up to 6 centimeters (about 2.4 inches) long. Arrow crabs come in many bright colors! Their bodies might be golden, yellow, cream, brown, black, or even have shiny blue lines. Their legs are often reddish or yellow, and their claws can be blue or violet.
Where Arrow Crabs Live
Arrow crabs live in the Atlantic Ocean. You can find them in places like North Carolina and Bermuda, all the way down to Brazil. They also live in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and near Cape Verde. Sometimes, they are even seen in the Sea of Cortez!
These interesting crabs like to make their homes on coral reefs. They usually live at depths of about 3 to 9 meters (10 to 30 feet) underwater.
What Arrow Crabs Eat
Arrow crabs are like little clean-up crews on the coral reef. They eat small worms called feather duster worms. These worms live in tubes and have feathery parts that stick out. The crabs also munch on other small invertebrates that live on the reef. Invertebrates are animals without a backbone, like worms and snails.
Images for kids
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S. seticornis off Hispaniola
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See also
In Spanish: Cangrejo flecha para niños
