Published Monthly at the New York Aquarium, cor. 35th Street and Broadway 
VOL. i. 
NEW YORK, APRIL, 1877. 
NO 9. 
1 anaaaBmi sanav Rm 
THE SPIDER CRAB. 
Society and occupation in the world of the 
sea are represented by masons, builders, ma¬ 
rauders, usurpers and plunderers, and each 
have their distinguishing peculiarities, 
fancf df^^quaxnt' spider crab" 
himself with algse and sponges, 
and none but the most brilliant 
in color seem to fascinate him. 
He moves about “slowly and 
solemn,” and is deliberate in de¬ 
cision and determined in pur¬ 
pose; his hard, spiny shell, of 
sombre color, adds to the dig¬ 
nity of his appearance, and the 
methodical way in which he uses 
his claws and carries himself 
about really impresses one with 
the idea that he is quite an im¬ 
portant personage in the Aqua¬ 
rium When wishing to array 
himself he finds a brilliant alga 
or spoDge, and pinches off piece 
after piece with his long slender 
claw ; these when broken are 
dipped in the glutinous fluid 
which the mouth contains and 
carried to the back and fas¬ 
tened securely. Sometimes, af¬ 
ter he has attached a particular 
fragment, he reaches back his 
claw the second time, making 
careful examination, apparently 
to satisfy himself that it is se¬ 
cure. 
This fancy is indulged in on¬ 
ly when the crabs are young, 
and is done in the fall, when 
ready for the winter, to ob¬ 
scure them from hungry skates 
and sturgeon. Sometimes, in a 
tank of many animals, the crabs 
seem to imagine themselves 
among enemies, and often cover 
their shells. Fully grown crabs are too large 
and too hard to be swallowed and are seldom 
seen fastening sea-weeds to their shells. Their 
joints are very stiff and claws slow of motion 
at the best, and when they are old the carry¬ 
There is an old mill-race on Long Island 
where many of these crabs have been carried 
among sponge-covered rocks whence they can¬ 
not return. Dainty bits of red and yellow 
sponge have been attached to their shells 
v^h cl-. Wo.grow i so as t^mear v WyX M^TSi; 
whe motion the crabs look like moving 
sponges. 
Although much preferring 
the brilliant algse and sponges, 
the spider crab will sometimes 
make use of other material. 
Not long ago a tank was cleaned 
at the Aquarium and a spider 
crab was confined in one corner 
by a barricade of stones. A 
gentleman threw in sprays of 
Sertularia and bits of the bases 
of anemones from which the 
parents had torn themselves 
and these were seized by the 
crab and attached to his shell. 
The spiders cast their shells 
like the rest of crab-dom, but 
unlike other varieties have no 
attendant to protect them while 
their shell is soft. Two that 
were nearly ready to “ shed ” in 
the Aquarium suddenly broke 
from their shells when the tank 
received a sudden jar. They 
are less pugnacious than the 
hermit and other crabs, appear¬ 
ing to quarrel only over then- 
food. They have keen appetites 
and good noses for scenting 
food. Mr. E. states that he of¬ 
ten made a commotion among 
them at the Aquarium by hold¬ 
ing a dead minnow in his part¬ 
ly closed hand in the water. 
They will scramble up and down 
his arm, and when reaching 
the hand often have a contest 
for the dainty morsel More 
A 
is" c 'decorate 
ing of the sprays to their backs and fastening' 
"them seems a laborious task. 
©BCCIDiEjBA CRAB. 
