Inachus dorsettensis, commonly known as the scorpion spider crab, is a species of crab generally found on loose substrates (stony bottoms to mud) from 6 metres (20 ft) depth down to about 100 m (330 ft).[1] It is found along the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean from Norway to South Africa, and also in the Mediterranean Sea.[1]
They are usually seen covered with sponge which they apply themselves. The carapace of a fully grown male is roughly 30 millimetres (1.2 in) long and slightly narrower than it is long.[1] I. dorsettensis resembles the closely related species Inachus phalangium, but has more prominent spines on the carapace.[1] They molt, with the intermolting period being shorter the warmer the water they reside in is.[2]
Inachus dorsettensis, commonly known as the scorpion spider crab, is a species of crab generally found on loose substrates (stony bottoms to mud) from 6 metres (20 ft) depth down to about 100 m (330 ft). It is found along the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean from Norway to South Africa, and also in the Mediterranean Sea.