Giant Spider Crabs (Leptomithrax gaimardii) and Smooth Ray (Dasyatis brevicaudata)

Every year around late May through to mid June one of the world's most interesting congregations of marine life happens as Giant Spider Crabs come together in the shallow waters off of the piers and beaches of Port Phillip. The huge casts of Giant Spider Crabs (Leptomithrax gaimardii) are often sighted as they gather en masse on the sandy bottom of Port Phillip, near Blairgowrie Pier and Rye Pier on the Mornington Peninsula. Here, the giant spider crabs are seen with a large smooth ray swimming above the large aggregation.