Listen as well as look: this small, stocky hermit crab can make a sharp sound by rubbing a ridged claw against a leg.
- Local names
- Oruhi ; ’Ua
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
About this species
Coenobita rugosus can be grey, green or orange. More reliable clues are the two dark marks below its sideways-flattened eyestalks and the clear ridges on the larger claw. Its antennae are grey and yellow-orange, sensing both odours and obstacles.
Widespread in the Indo-Pacific, it is described by the Society’s guide as less often encountered on Tetiaroa. Look on the beach and inside the motu. The rasping sound comes from rubbing a textured part of the claw against the inner side of a leg.
