Boulder Crab
Apex predator of the Arid Dunes
The Boulder Crab is an enormous crustacean living on the sea floor, with its shell being almost indistinguishable from a boulder, which it uses to its advantage to hunt prey. These crabs can also jump fairly high, always dropping fast due to the weight of its shell, and creating a small shockwave upon impact. However, jumping also leaves their undersides exposed to attack.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Boulder Crab has a relatively small body, with long bulky limbs. Its forelimbs have large claws on the ends, with very underdeveloped fixed fingers underneath, and small serrations on the outside. Their heads have thick stalked eyes, and large feeding appendages underneath. Their shells also grow into heavy mobile homes, which can be disguised as boulders.
Biological Traits
Males will often have more pronounced serrations on their claws and legs, only used for display purposes.
Genetics and Reproduction
Male Boulder Crabs will compete heavily in order to find a mate, either displaying their large claws to females, or brawling with other males in order to win one over. Most individuals will get wounded enough from these brawls that they have a chance of dying. When these creatures mate, the mother will store her eggs under her shell, while the father leaves in search of other crabs to mate with. The mother will then stay put with the eggs tucked just under the roof of the shell, starving herself until they hatch.
Growth Rate & Stages
Boulder Crabs hatch lacking their rocky shells, crawling out from underneath their deceased mother in order to keep track of their siblings. In youth, these crabs will work together with their siblings in order to catch food and protect each other, hunting smaller species for the time being. With age, they'll begin growing their boulder-like shells, and be able to hunt larger prey by themselves. From here they'll begin practicing disguising themselves as large rocks. Once they reach adulthood, they will likely become fully solitary, until they attempt to find others of their kind to mate with.
Ecology and Habitats
Boulder Crabs are only found in the Dunes, and split their time between traversing the sands, and hiding under their shells in wait of a prey item. Some may also gather certain trinkets from the seabed in order to decorate the space around them, and make their boulder shells look even more convincing. They often travel alone, stopping once they find other Boulder Crabs.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Boulder Crab is the apex predator of the Dunes, and feeds on Agelisichthys, Rigipods, and Grobbit Worms. They retract their bodies underneath their shells, then squat down on the seabed, with only their eyes poking through. Once a prey item comes near, the crab jumps forward, impaling it with their claws. With Grobbit Worms, they intentionally get caught in their grasp, able to survive since their shells are stronger than the worms' mandibles. Then, they strike the worm's head with their claws, killing it and eating only the parts not covered by an exoskeleton.
Biological Cycle
Over time, grains of sand can gather underneath their shells, and become impossible to clean off. It may also form a layer of hardened sand inside the shell, limiting how much they can retract their bodies.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The Boulder Crab's four eyestalks serve the creature fairly well, but it also makes use of its keen sense of touch and hearing, which it uses to sense prey from underneath its shell.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Several plants have been seen growing in this crab's shell, which not only displays a place for the plants to grow in the first place, but also makes the crab's boulder disguise even more convincing. Even in the crab's death, the plants will keep growing in the grooves of its shell.
Scientific Name
Kinitra scopulus
Lifespan
Unknown
Average Weight
2,000 lbs.
Average Length
18 ft.
Average Physique
Meaty
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Orange exoskeleton, dark grey shell, glowing yellow eyes
Geographic Distribution
Fairly high
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