About Metopograpsus thukuhar (Owen, 1839)
Male Metopograpsus thukuhar can grow to a maximum length of 5 cm. This species has brownish-yellow or brownish-red mottled carapaces and legs. Adult claws are violet, while juvenile claws are pinkish. Metopograpsus thukuhar is a mangrove-dwelling crab found throughout mangrove forests in Hawaii, Madagascar, Mauritius, Sumatra, Japan, Taiwan, China, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji. This species is widely distributed across mangrove regions, primarily in zones dominated by Rhizophora mucronata and Ceriops tagal, where it hides among mangrove roots. It is an omnivorous species that feeds on water plants, mangrove associate species, and animal carcasses. It is not a burrowing crab, and only lives around lower mangrove trunks and roots.
