Hepatus epheliticus, (Linnaeus, 1763)
Hepatus epheliticus, known by various names, including the calico crab (not to be confused with Ovalipes ocellatus) and Dolly Varden crab, is a species of crab. It lives in shallow water in the western Atlantic Ocean from the Chesapeake Bay to the Dominican Republic. It has a 3-inch (76 mm)–wide carapace adorned with large red spots with darker outlines.
Hepatus epheliticus grows to 3 inches (76 mm) across the carapace, which is covered in large patches of red color, which may join up into lines or other patterns. The spots are outlined in a darker color; in some crabs, only the darker rings are visible.
The range of H. epheliticus extends from the Chesapeake Bay southwards, including the whole of the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
Hepatus epheliticus lives at depths of up to 46 m (151 ft) on sandy and muddy substrates. It often carries the sea anemone Calliactis tricolor on its back, or lies buried in the sand, with only its eyes exposed.
Reproduction occurs in summer, as shown by the occurrence of "berried" (egg-bearing) females. The eggs are held by the female until they hatch; there are five planktonic zoea stages.
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