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. This very name is also shared by an unrelated crab (Percnon gibbesi). This crab is commonly found along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the Americas, including the Galapagos. Adults typically range from 5-8cm in carapace width. The species has not been evaluated by the IUCN, so it’s unknown how this species is thriving, though no known threats have been acknowledged as of yet. G.graspus is considered inedible and is often used as bait instead. These crabs are omnivores that feed mostly on algae and their main predators include, seabirds, octopuses, and the moray eel.
Today’s review will be both my first time covering a crustacean and my first figure from Safari Ltd’s Incredible Creatures line. This figure was released back in 2007, 3 years before the Blue crab that was previously reviewed. So we’ll see how well I’ve chosen to add this as my first crustacean in my collection.
The IC figure has a carapace width of about 6.5cm, making it about 1:1 scale for certain mature individuals and ranging to about 1:1.3 for the largest known specimens. Sculpt-wise, this figure appears pretty accurate to the references I was able to obtain. There are 5 pairs of legs in total, with two blocky and symmetrical chelae/pincers. A fine amount of detail was added to the texture of the carapace and each of the legs.
To sex crabs, the apron of the ventral side is used as a reference, as described in the review of the blue crab. They’re wider in females and narrower in males. I actually couldn’t find any references for the underside of a sexed G.graspus. The closest thing I found was another member of the genus that appears to have been female, as its apron was very wide. Therefore, I think it’s fair to assume this Sally Lightfoot is male.
As for the paintjob, the top side of the carapace is mainly orange with red accents while the underside is blue with some gold accents. This is very accurate to the species, especially when accounting for intraspecific variation. The eyestalks are painted two shades of purple. Overall, this figure does not fail to capture the lovely vibrant, and flamboyant coloration of this species. However, echoing some of the issues found with the paintjob of the blue crab from this line, I’ve noticed the paint application was too thick for the yellow rings around the base of the legs on the underside. Otherwise, I think this figure looks great.
Safari Ltd.’s Incredible Creatures line left a strong first impression on me with this figure. Despite being about 14 years old, the Sally Lightfoot crab still boasts the strongest sculpt and paintjob I could find for this species. The size may turn-off those who wish to avoid large figures, but otherwise, I would easily recommend this for those aiming to add this species to their collection.
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Thank you for this wonderful addition!!!
Safari made a smaller version for their Galapagos TOOB, but the paint job is too simple to be reliably recognized as this species. The best ‘small’ figure of this species is by Play Visions in their Galapagos collection.