Carapace smooth, soft or hard, depending on stage of development; immatures are soft, with membranous, unpigmented subquadrate carapace without longitudinal grooves posterior to eye orbits; ovigerous females are similar but do have the longitudinal grooves and a transverse groove between the eyes. Chelipeds and walking legs are subcylindrical and sparsely setose; dactyls have curved claws. Males and females metamorphose to a hard stage very unlike the soft stages. The females integument is calcified and the carapace smooth and subpentagonal with anterior margins densely pubescent, covering sulci and front projections. Chelipeds with patches of dense pubescence and tips of fingers crossed. Walking legs flattened, margins pubescent, with long rows of plumose swimming setae.
SizeCarapace: male 7 x 7.3 mm, female 17 x 22 mm.
ColourSoft stages: carapace translucent creamy white with frontial area slightly more opaque. In adult females the orange yolks of eggs in the ovaries may be seen through the integument. Cheliped opaque creamy white with yellow tinged fingers. Walking legs creamy white with yellow setae. Eyestalk translucent white; cornea scarlet with gold flecks. Hard stage: carapace opaque white with anterior areas mainly tan, and scarlet reticulations on cardiac and branchial areas. Pubescence a light tan. Chelipeds white with yellow and pale orange; carpus and fingers a bright orange with pale grey pubescence. Walking legs yellow with orange; claw brown and setae grey. Antennule, antennae and eyestalk orange; cornea black.