Today is a review of the complete set of Crabs by Play Visions, Habitat Earth series (1996). Another in the taxonomically-diverse sets of animals released by Play Visions in the mid-late 1990s. I have made some taxonomic changes to a couple figures in this set since I first presented it on the ATF back in 2016, so it seems like a good time to introduce it to the Blog!
Classification: Crustaceans
Maine Lobster (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (5 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Homarus americanus, better known as the American, Canadian, Atlantic, Maine, or northern lobster, is both the heaviest crustacean and the heaviest of all extant arthropods. Old individuals regularly average around 20 lbs and the record holder, caught off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1977, weighed a staggering 44 lbs, which is heavier than my four year old son!
Rubber Ducky Isopod (Dango Mushi 08 by Bandai)
5 (2 votes)
Rubber Ducky is a common name given to a species of Cubaris that was discovered in limestone caves in Thailand in 2017. To my knowledge, the species is still undescribed (I propose C. erniei). Despite this, it is becoming very popular in the hobby of rearing isopods (honestly, until I investigated this figure before buying it, I had no idea isopods were so popular in terraria).
Sally Lightfoot Crab (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
4.5 (2 votes)
If there’s any animal ready to jump in the line, it’s the Sally Lightfoot crab (Graspus graspus). Also known as the red rock crab, G.graspus belongs to the genus of ‘lightfoot crabs’ that are named such due to their rapid movements and ability to leap from rock to rock along the shorelines, with the ”Sally” rumored to have been named after a Caribbean dancer.
Mud Crab (AAA)
4.5 (4 votes)
Scuttling along shorelines, rummaging in the surf or sand, crustaceans are well known beach living animals, especially the crab. With their pincers, shells and multiple legs, they are well known critters, and have many figures made of them. Here, we see one of many examples made by AAA.
As usual, discerning a species is incredibly tricky, as this is just labelled “crab”.
Shrimp (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
Today we are looking at a review of, and for me a total reassessment of, the ‘shrimp’ produced by Safari Ltd. in 2015 as part of their Incredible Creatures line. When I first received this figure, I was very happy for it, since it was the first arthropod produced by Safari in five years (that wasn’t part of a TOOB or life cycle set), but also had some stark criticisms for it.
Red Swamp Crayfish (Living Things Series by Fujimi Mokei)
4.7 (3 votes)
Today I am reviewing a model kit by Fujimi Mokei in their Living Things Series collection. The subject of the review is the red swamp crayfish (also called the Louisiana crayfish), Procambrus clarkii, which is No. 24 in the series. The kit was released earlier this year. Forum member Isurus reviewed another model kit in this series, the Chinese mantis, although that review featured a walkaround of the final, painted product whereas mine will take the reader on a step-by-step assembly process!
Edible Crab (Marine Life by Papo)
5 (3 votes)
Today we are looking at the edible crab (Cancer pagurus) released just this year by Papo. This is an exciting figure. It is Papo’s first crustacean, and only the second crustacean in a Western company’s ‘Sealife/Marine life’ line following CollectA’s 2019 king crab (I am not counting figures in the Incredible Creatures line by Safari Ltd.).
Deep Sea Creatures TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4 (11 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Of all the creatures in the world’s oceans, none are more bizarre and more terrifying to behold than those that dwell in the darkest depths where the light does not penetrate. Seven of these strange species are to be found in the 2014 Deep Sea Creatures TOOB courtesy of Safari Ltd.
Alaskan King Crab (Sealife by CollectA)
5 (5 votes)
Walkaround of the Alaskan king crab, also known as the red king crab or Kamchatka crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus (Tilesius, 1815), by CollectA Sealife Collection, released in 2019. This figure is one of a couple firsts. It is the FIRST crustacean by CollectA. It is the FIRST arthropod by a Western company’s ‘Sealife’ line (not counting Incredible Creatures crustaceans by Safari LTD).
Red-streaked Box Crab (Dango Mushi 06 by Bandai)
5 (3 votes)
Calappa lophos, commonly known as the red-streaked box crab or the common box crab, is a species of box crab (Calappidae) endemic to the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, including Andaman Sea and the waters around Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. For years, this species has been widely ignored by most manufacturers, with only three examples by Kaiyodo in 2003 (Kurosio Komekko), 2013 (Capsule Q Museum), and 2018 (Aquatales).
Blue Crab (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is a species of swimming crab of the family Portunidae that ranges along the Atlantic coast of North and South America, from Cape Cod to Argentina. It has also been introduced to European and Japanese waters but nowhere is the blue crab better known and beloved than in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland and Virginia.