Scientific Name: Metopograpsus messor
The mottled crab is a crab species which lives in mangroves all across the UAE.
Mottled crabs can be seen year-round scurrying at the base of mangroves at low tide, on rocky shores, under rotting wood, and climbing on trees. These little crabs grow up to 30 millimeters wide - about the diameter of a one-dirham coin. They can tolerate temperature fluctuations of over 20 degrees centigrade. Their shells and legs are mottled (streaked or blotchy) brownish-green, while their claws are brownish-red. These crabs play an important role in the aeration of mudflats which help the soil control oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, rid of toxins, supply oxygen to microorganisms, enhance water and nutrient absorption, and combat disease.
You can find these little fellas all over the mangroves!