Charybdis natator has a fan shaped carapace which is brown to orange in colour on the dorsal surface the ventral … See more

Charybdis natator is found throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans from eastern South Africa and Madagascar north to the Red Sea and across the Indian Ocean, including the Mascarene Islands and the Seychelles, … See more

Charybdis natator is a benthic species found in the inter-tidal zone and in the sub -tidal zone down to a depth of 60m and over a variety of substrates, including sandy or silty bottoms, rocky and coral reefs and beds of we… See more

Charybdis natator is an unimportant species for fisheries in eastern Africa and in India it is the fourth most important swimming crab caught in the crab fishery whereas in Taiwan and Australia it is much more impor… See more

The generic name, Charybdis, refers to a whirlpool in Greek while the specific name natator references its swimming ability. It was named as Cancer natator in 1794 by the German zoologist Johann Friedrich Wilhelm He… See more