Description
Adult female New Zealand pea crabs have a soft-shelled exoskeleton.Their carapace is oval in shape, ranging in size from 9.3 to 20.2 millimetres (0.37 to 0.80 in) wide. Sexually mature adult females almost always have eggs that are tucked under their abdomens, giving them a more spherical appearance. Adult females are opaque white in colour. Developing eggs change colour from red to orange to yellow before they hatch, giving the brooding mother a different tint at each stage. Adult male New Zealand pea crabs have a hard, chitinous exoskeleton. Their carapace is smaller and more dorso-ventrally flattened than that of the female, ranging in size from 3.2 to 11.8 mm (0.13 to 0.46 in) wide. Adult males are a creamy white colour with distinctive orange markings.
Read more about this topic: New Zealand Pea Crab
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