Description

Distribution & Habitat:

• Found across Hong Kong Island, New Territories, Lantau Island, and reported from Shenzhen and Dongguan in mainland China.

• Inhabits wooded hillstream banks, moist terrestrial areas, and secondary evergreen forest near freshwater seepage or hillstreams. Records span from 17 m up to 514 m elevation.

• While semi-terrestrial, juveniles and small adults are sometimes found in small ditches and ponds.

Morphology & Behavior:

• Adult carapace typically measures 20–50 mm in breadth.

• Asymmetric chelipeds (one claw larger) are present, often used in territorial interactions.

• Nocturnal and burrowing behavior: spends the day in burrows in muddy banks and emerges at night or after rain for foraging.

• Reproduction involves direct development: females brood eggs under the abdomen, and juveniles hatch as miniature adults.