Sentinel Crab

Image: budak

It's the perfect guard dog...

Powerful armour plating. Two great, big claws. And eyes on stalks!

Image: ISAKA Yoji
Always watching...

I found two crabs commonly called the Sentinel.

Video: Thomas Ma

One is a genus known as Macrophthalmus, found on muddy shores in the Indo-Pacific much like their Fiddler Crab and Ghost Crab relatives.

Image: Moorea Biocode

The other is Podophthalmus vigil, who's range extends from Japan and Australia all the way out to Samoa and Hawaii. They belong to a family called Portunidae, the Swimming Crabs. With their hindmost legs flattened into paddles, this Sentinel can dart about in search of fish and shrimp to eat.

Or, of course, to nab that dastardly cat burglar by the ankle.

I thought it might be cool to have a new superhero called Sentinel Crab Man, but then I realised he would have to walk through doorways sideways. Like a crab!