Key Identification Features
- Larvae take weeks to months to develop, going through several distinct larval stages before reaching the final juvenile stage, where they first occupy a small fragment of a broken snail shell.
- It can be distinguished by the raised blue dots covering its granular chelipeds and walking legs — this feature gives the species its common name.
- Today, Trigonocheirus is classified within the genus Orthopagurus, while Pagurixus is now recognized as a separate, distinct genus.
- Males and females can be distinguished by the morphology of their pleopods: males have two pleopods, while females have three branching pleopods that their eggs attach to.
For instant identification in the field, use the iNature app — AI-powered, works offline.
