COMMON NAMES: Red Hermit-Landcrab

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Ungā Para (MK), Unga Para (MT), Unga Kute (AK), Unga Kula (TS), Unga Kura (TW), Unga Kukula (PK); COMMENT: The adult is called Red Unga (kute, muramura, etc) while the young on the beach is known as Unga Karatea.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Indonesia - Cooks - Tuamotu

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Land, breed in ocean

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: For fishing bait.

KEY FEATURES: A large hermit crab typically living in turban shells (Turbo spp.). Bright orange-red to purplish-red. Hairs on pale projections. Has a brush of hairs on the inner surface of both palms. This species can produce a rasping sound by rubbing on the teeth on the upper-outer surface of the enlarged left cheliped. The young of this crab is creamy-white with red bands on wrists of the chelae and walking-legs. It lives in small nerite, stromb and cerith shells on beaches.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Adults colour is distinctive, and pale young separated from other species by the red bands on the wrists.