About Callinectes marginatus (A.Milne-Edwards, 1861)
The carapace of Callinectes marginatus has nine spines behind each eye. The last of these spines is roughly twice the length of the one before it, and the full carapace reaches about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in width.
In past work by Mary J. Rathbun and other researchers, the name Callinectes marginatus was also used for individuals now classified as the separate species C. larvatus and C. diacanthus. Currently, the name C. marginatus is only applied to the species found along the African coast from Cape Verde Islands and Nouadhibou, Mauritania to Angola. Unlike some related species, C. marginatus is considered entirely marine, though there are confirmed records of the species occurring in the estuaries of the Congo River and the Hwini River. These crabs dig burrows approximately 30 cm (12 in) wide in mudflats.
