Greetings to all 1,352 members of Crabs of the World! It’s impressive we now have 2,270 species in this project, when we spent years aiming for 2,000. A new goal-- 3,000?! (Quick reminder— Everyone, please add your crab observations to this project, as they are not automatically added. Thank you so much to everyone who adds them.)

Every few months I first focus on some species that are new to iNaturalist, and then some others that are impressive. Please notify me if yours is new, otherwise I probably won’t know. This time there’s a long list of remarkable crabs. Here are some of the new crabs:

•A Maritimonautes choloensis (Eastern Mountain River Crab) by @touroult in Zambia:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/16356587

•Galathea faiali (a Galatheid Squat Lobster) by @dennisthediver in the Canary Islands, Spain (needs confirmation):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/187951656

•An Oncinopus neptunus (Spider/Decorator Crab) by @erchlogl near Sydney, Australia (needs confirmation):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/189089941

•A Genus Dardanus (Left-handed Hermit Crab) by @kjadiver in West Australia, with a comment by @grahammcmartin, "Certainly of the Dardanus genus, but bears no resemblance to any species I have seen before. The overall combination of colours is most unusual. It is possible this is an undescribed species.”
www.inaturalist.org/observations/194867537

•A Longpotamon acutum (Eurasian Freshwater Crab) by @amarzee in China (needs confirmation):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/188887199

These are not new, but spectacular!

•Two rather special crabs with beautiful photos by @glen_whisson in Australia:
An Indo-Pacific Hairy Hermit Crab:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/183667297
and a Xenocarcinus depressus (Depressed Spider Crab):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/185715811

•A Family Dromiidae (Sponge Crab) by @flaviomendes in Brazil:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/190836486

•A Laleonectes nipponensis (Nippon Swimming Crab) photographed at night with a UV flashlight by @sea-kangaroo in Hawaii:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/193957544

•An unusual captive Dardanus megistos (White-spotted Hermit Crab) by @beginning in Washington state, USA, ID by @eihimyorin, with notes by @grahammcmartin, top identifier of this species:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/191510844

•The rarely spotted red and white Thoe poella (A Spider/Decorator Crab) by @blazeclaw in the Cayman Islands:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/192790740

•Three Acantholithodes hispidus (Spiny Lithode Crabs) found inside a halibut stomach by @kljinsitka in Alaska:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/195859857

•Some tiny Zaops ostreum (Oyster Pea Crabs) by @jspruill in North Carolina, USA:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/194542215

Two crabs found scuba diving in frigid winter waters in Washington state, USA, by @ebleke:
•A Pagers armatus (Armed Hermit Crab):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/196227716
•An Echidnocerus cibarius (Puget Sound King Crab):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/196227744

And finally, four observations in Indonesia:

•Two photos by @albertkang:
An adorable, apparently young, Liomera cinctimanus (Hand-strapped Crab):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/187895005
and gorgeous photos of a Hoplophrys oatesii (Soft Coral Crab):
www.inaturalist.org/observations/190544262

•Amazing photos of some tiny Porcellanella haigae (Haig’s Porcelain Crabs) crawling on a sea pen by @craigjhowe:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/187660481

•An Achaeus spinosus (Soft Coral Spider Crab) by @tantsusoo:
www.inaturalist.org/observations/194484940

Please let me know of any crab observations that you’d like me to highlight next time. Thanks! @wendy5