Xantho pilipes

Xantho pilipes, or Risso's crab, is a species of crab from the family Xanthidae, named for the naturalist Antoine Risso.

Description

Risso's crab is small, adults measuring in length. It is marbly and varied in colour from red to yellow to brown. It has dense hairs on the back of its legs, hence the specific name pilipes, 'hairy legs'.

Ecology

Xantho pilipes lives in seawater up to depths of. It hides under rocks and in coarse gravel.

Distribution

Xantho pilipes is found in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic. It is common off the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland.