It is generally a grey-green colour mottled with dull brown or cream or fawn. It has short hairs on the legs. Measures 40 mm across the carapace (back).

Found in the North and South Islands also Southern Chile and West coast of Patagonia. This crab can be found from mid to low tide under cobble sitting on sand or mud. This crab can cope with decreases in salinity.

They are scavengers feeding on dead animals and plants.

The inner portion of the nipper have a pad of hairs used to wipe over the eyes to keep them moist when the tide is out. It is preyed upon by a number of fish species including red cod, rig and sea perch.

Collins: Gunson Jones, M. B., Marsden, I, D., 2005, Life in the Estuary. Canterbury University Press. Yaldwyn J. C., Webber, W. R., 2011. Annotated Checklist of New Zealand Decapoda (Arthropoda: Crustacea). Tuhinga vol 22. Pg171-272.