Forward-walking
Guides
Libinia emarginata
portly spider crab, common spider crab, nine-spined spider crab
Libinia emarginata is a heavily calcified spider crab native to the western Atlantic coast of North America. It is characterized by its triangular carapace, khaki coloration, and distinctive spiny appearance. The species exhibits unusual forward-walking locomotion rather than the typical sideways movement of most crabs. As a decorator crab, it frequently covers itself with debris and small invertebrates for camouflage.