• Becoming a member is completely free!

    • Join the community and start contributing to a large source of sea angling information.
    • Become an active member and you can enter member exclusive competitions.

    REGISTER FOR FREE HERE

Masked crabs

Ianpick

Ianpick

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
1,005
Reaction score
3,563
Points
113
Location
Freshwater IOW
Favourite Fishing
Shore
I've seen a few masked crabs this week, possibly as a result of the long tides.

I have read that they can be used as bait.
Given that it can be very easy to collect a few at low tide, I'm going to try them out.
I'm thinking of cutting them in half lengthways and binding them on the hook.

Has anyone done this and if so what were the results?
 
Is a local name for hermit crab ? ?
 
I always thought that masked crabs were a deep(er) water species of crab that rarely makes it to the tide lines, so anglers rarely encounter them?
 
I've seen them on many beaches.
They bury themselves vertically in the sand but will come out onto the surface at low tide, mainly at night.
They have a shell about 1.5" x 1" and the claws extend to about 3". They have long thin antennae that they use to breathe when buried.
Apparently the markings on the shell look like a face, hence Masked Crab.
 
Mr Fish said:
Yep never heard of masked crab. Are they a native species?
Click to expand...
Yep, there have been a lot more of them about in the last 18 months!

1646648385526.png

Seriously though, they are native to our shores.
en.wikipedia.org

Corystes - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Troj in Guernsey found one recently - I'll try to pinch a screenshot of it.

EDIT: Here ya go - he found this whilst out shore foraging during a low spring tide.

1646648782076.png
 
Last edited:
Interesting. Not seen one crabbing in Kent or sw Ireland.
 
Back
Top