The type of crustaceans you can find on Lanzarote

Lanzarote’s animal emblem is a crab, and it’s a fitting symbol for an island whose coasts are home to hundreds of thousands of crustaceans.

The most common crab you’re likely to see on Lanzarote is the cangrejo rojo, or red crab. This is part of a large family of rock crabs that live on both sides of the Atlantic, and their cousin in South America is known as the Sally Lightfoot crab, named after a famous dancer.

The reason for the comparison is plain if you try to catch one. These crabs are fast, agile and seem to have eyes in the back of their head. They also live on slippery rocks and are often found in the splash zone of the waves, making them even more difficult to approach.

There are several other varieties of similar, fastmoving rock crabs on our shores, and they can be fascinating to watch, darting sure-footedly over the rocks and through the sea spray. The closest you’re likely to get to one is if you find a dead one, dried out in the sun, and there’s absolutely no chance that these creatures will attack you.

If you do get nipped by a crab on Lanzarote, it will almost certainly be by a marbled rock crab. This is a small crab that lives in crevices on rocks and, if you get too close to its lair, it might decide to warn you off. The nip can give you a shock, but it’s never serious.

Spend some time looking into a rock pool and, sooner or later, you’re bound to see other crabs, ranging from hairy porcelain crabs to the small crabs known locally as “Vieja bait”, because they’re used to catch the multi-coloured parrotfish (viejas) that are prized by locals. If you see men combing the beach at low tide, there’s a good chance they’re turning over rocks to look for these crabs.

But don’t just watch the crabs in the rock pool. Focus on those snail-like periwinkle shells and you may see one or two moving in a strange, jerky fashion. These are hermit crabs, and if you lift one up, you’ll see its claws guarding the shell entrance. There’s a keen market for real estate in the rock pools, as hermit crabs upgrade their homes to bigger, more spacious shells.

IN THE DARK

Of course, Lanzarote’s most famous crabs are the tiny, white blind crabs that can be seen in Jameos del Agua – and nowhere else in the world.

These little creatures are longer, than most crabs, resembling a tiny crayfish, and usually live in total darkness. That’s why they’re blind – you don’t need eyes when there’s no light, and as there’s no need for pigment either, they’re completely white.

The blind crabs are one of the main attractions of the Jameos del Agua, although tourism has threatened them. The custom of throwing coins into a pool is strictly banned at the Jameos, because the metal elements are harmful to the little crabs.

The Canarian slipper lobster is another local species that has required protection. This is a type of lobster that has “flippers” instead of fearsome claws. It can reach 45 cms in length, but its camouflage and nocturnal habits mean that most islanders will never set eyes on one.

Once a prized catch for fishermen, the population of Canarian lobsters has been seriously affected by overfishing, and the advent of scuba diving has only made things worse. As a result, the species is highly protected, and anyone caught taking a Canarian lobster can expect heavy fines.