Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific region: from East Africa, Red Sea to the Solomon Islands, Society and Marshall Islands, Japan. In Australia recorded from Exmouth in Western Australia, across the north to southern Queensland.

Ecological Notes: Chooses shells with wide apertures, frequents areas of inshore and offshore reef, lagoon bottoms. Depth range 1 – 20 m.

Additional Notes: Two forms, black and red, which differ in the colour of the patches on the carapace, claws and legs. Yellow antennae, eye stalks blue-grey with yellow shading at distal end. Mottled tan and maroon, body covered in dark hairs tipped with white. Carapace length to 20 mm, total length to 100 mm.

References: Davie, Peter. Wild Guide to Moreton Bay and Adjacent Coasts. Second Edition. Published by Queensland Museum. Vol 2, p.223.

Poupin J. and M. Juncker, 2010 – A guide to the decapod crustaceans of the South Pacific. Published by CRISP and SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia, 320 pp., 366 photographs. Pp.230-1.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Dardanus+crassimanus. Accessed 13/11/2018.