I’m sketching a spider crab on paper. I propped him up with a shell.
The spider crab (maja squinado) is common in British coastal waters. For some reason he or she is not a popular food here. Perhaps its their thorny appearance. They are very strange looking. Here most that are caught are exported to the continent where the strange appearance of food is sometimes part of it’s attraction.
Seen from above the body shell is almost heart shaped, though lacking the indentation in the top of the heart, but coming down to two horns either side of the small eyes on storks. It has eight walking legs and two large front claws for fighting and harvesting. Oddly the front legs on the one I’m sketching are thin and undeveloped. Perhaps it is a juvenile.
I like their spiky architectural appearance combined with their curves.
Photographs © James Forshall
Catherine Forshall 