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Kōrero: Crabs, rock lobsters and other crustaceans

A native crab

Image
A native crab

This crab (Cancer novaezelandiae) is snuggled amongst a group of tube worms. Commonly known as the pie-crust crab or ngāhorohoro, it usually hides in coastal sands, leaving the top of its shell (carapace) exposed. It is a nocturnal predator and feeds on shellfish, cracking open bivalve shells with powerful pincers.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Ryan Photographic

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Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Niel Bruce rāua ko Alison MacDiarmid, Crabs, rock lobsters and other crustaceans – Crustaceans – bugs of the sea, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/8227/a-native-crab (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Niel Bruce rāua ko Alison MacDiarmid, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.