The Leach’s Spider Crab is a small long-legged crab that can be found all around the coasts of England on sandy seabeds in shallow and deeper waters, although it is usually found about five to ten metres below tide level. It is a very slow-moving crab that is well-skilled in camouflaging itself.

The Leach’s Spider Crab grows to a length of about three centimetres and it can easily be recognised because its long spindly legs and the top part of its body are covered in tiny hook-like hairs.  These hairs usually have sea sponge or algae attached to them. Its body is generally a red-brown colour, but this base colour is not so easily seen because of the algae and sea sponge that is attached to its body. Like other crabs, the Leach Spider’s Crab has ten walking legs with two large pincers on the first pair. This crab often folds its pincers under its body.

The Leach’s Spider Crab has a special relationship with the Snakelocks Anemone which is a sea-creature that has long stinging snake-like tentacles. The Leach’s Spider often hides around the base of this anemone and it even sits within its tentacles to camouflage and protect itself.