[5][6][7] In 1853, Henri Milne-Edwards erected the Leptograpsus genus and used G. variegatus as the type taxon.

[10] The crab has an overall purple colouration with a variable amount of white patterning when mature.

[10] The crab lives in upper intertidal rocky zones and is often spotted running along exposed rock, hiding in cracks or under boulders.

[12] Leptograpsus variegatus is an omnivore and will eat a broad range of plant and animal life.

While the crab may eat algae growing on rocks (such as Corallina and Ulva lactuca), they have also been observed feeding on barnacles and limpets.

[13] Notably, there is also a single observation of this species preying upon a Raukawa gecko, which is native to New Zealand.

"A revision of the two southern temperate shore crabs Leptograpsus variegatus (Fabricius) and Plagusia chabrus (Linnaeus) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Grapsidae)".

"A multivariate study of variation in two species of rock crab of the genus Leptograpsus" (PDF).