Christmas Island red crab
Scientific name: Gecarcoidea natalis (Pocock, 1889)
Overview
The Christmas Island red crab is a species of land crab that is endemic to Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. Although restricted to a relatively small area, an estimated 43.7 million adult red crabs once lived on Christmas Island alone, but the accidental introduction of the yellow crazy ant is believed to have reduced the population by about a third. Christmas Island red crabs make an annual mass migration to the sea to lay their eggs in the ocean. As of 2020 the red crab had not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and it was not listed on their Red List. During the annual mass migration to the sea for spawning, millions of crabs emerge at the same time, thickly carpeting the ground. Authorities institute road closures and detours as necessary.
From the Wikipedia article “Christmas Island red crab”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Size and lifespan
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 cm |
Source: Wikidata, citing australian.museum.
Common names
Names in other languages (6)
- Arabic
- سرطان جزيرة الميلاد الأحمر
- Chinese
- 聖誕島紅蟹
- German
- Weihnachtsinsel-Krabbe
- Indonesian
- Kepiting merah pulau natal
- Japanese
- クリスマスアカガニ
- Turkish
- Christmas Adası Kırmızı Yengeci
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: World List of marine Brachyura.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — measurements, names in other languages. Q1934004, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “Christmas Island red crab”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — DIAC images, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026