Most often seen on dinner plates, this is an impressive crab found in the estuaries between Cairns and Cape Tribulation

Mud Crab - Female Scylla serrata on Cape Kimberley Beach - Photo by Alex Pawlow

It is a fearsome creature, with crushingly strong claws, which they will actively defend themselves with if provoked.

It is prized by locals, as a table species, with high quality and quantity of flesh.

They can grow to 30cm across the shell and up to 2kg. The male and female is most easily distinguished by the shape of the abdominal flap, with the females being broader and the males having a more acute angle. Turning the crab over to have a look at its belly is an entertaining undertaking and is best done with a stick to avoid encountering its impressive nippers.

The last pair of legs of the mud crab are flattened, like flippers, to help them swim, which they do proficiently.

There are restrictions on bag limits, and size for catching this crab and females "jennies" must always be returned un-harmed. See https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/rules-regulations/size-possession-limits-tidal for bag limits and sizes.

Mud crabs are omnivorous, feeding on slow moving, bottom dwelling animals, plant material, and scavenging for dead fish etc.