Carapace relatively flat, covered with short, soft, capitate setae as well as tufts of longer, stiff, clavate setae. Rostrum broadly triangular with a sharp tip and longer than orbital and antero-lateral teeth which are subequal in length with tips curved toward each other. Margin of carapace behind cervical groove cut into stout teeth, which decrease in size posteriorly. Abdomen setose. Eyestalk short and stout. Antennal base spined. Inner margin of last 2 segments of third maxilliped not inflated. Right cheliped stout with dactyl slightly more than half length of palm. Palm with 3 longitudinal rows of spines, the stout upper row being separated from the other 2 by a flat smooth surface. Fingers stout, spoon-shaped, with finely toothed margins. Ventrally mostly naked with an elongated membranous area at base of fixed finger. Smaller left cheliped similar but without membranous area. Walking legs flattened; all dorsal margins (except those of dactyls) are serrate with stout teeth as are the ventral margins of the meri. Chelipeds and walking legs setose, like the carapace, but with the addition of many long, soft setae on the outer margins.
SizeCarapace: male 23 x 24 mm.
ColourPreserved specimen similar to H. mertensii. Colour of surface masked by light brown setae. Carapace red and orange; marginal spines with white tips. Branchial area pale blue-grey. Abdomen pale brown. Fingers of chelipeds red with yellow tips and white teeth. Walking legs with patches of red dorsally and orange ventrally, with dactyls red proximally and orange distally; claw dark brown. Antennal flagellum uniform brown. Sternum orange with some red spots.