What it is
The Deep Crab is a variation of the Crab Pattern where the B point retraces 88.6% of the XA leg (compared to the standard Crab's 38.2–61.8%). The D point still completes at the 161.8% extension of XA, but the deep B retracement changes the pattern's internal geometry.
The deep B point makes this pattern look different from the standard Crab — the ABCD structure is more compressed. However, the completion at 161.8% of XA maintains the same extreme reversal characteristic.
Scott Carney identified this variant because the deep B retracement creates a distinct harmonic structure with different internal ratios that still converge at the critical 161.8% extension.
The psychology
The deep B retracement shows initial weakness. A nearly complete retracement of XA at point B signals that the initial impulse had little conviction.
Despite this weakness, price still extends to 161.8% of XA at point D. This overextension from a weak base creates an even more extreme condition — the move has gone further than the underlying conviction supports.
Reversals from the Deep Crab can be especially sharp because the deep B retracement means the entire ABCD structure from B to D is stretched. When it snaps back, the reversion covers significant ground.
Identification
- 01XA impulse — Defines the range
- 02B at 88.6% of XA — The deep retracement that defines this variant
- 03BC retracement — 38.2–88.6% of AB
- 04D at 161.8% of XA — Same completion as standard Crab
- 01CD = 261.8–361.8% of BC — Extended into D
- 02Volume climax at D — Exhaustion
- 03Reversal candle at 161.8% — Confirmation
- 04D aligns with other structure — Confluence zone
- 01B is not near 88.6% of XA — Standard Crab, not Deep
- 02D stops short of 161.8% — Incomplete
- 03No reversal signal at D — Momentum continuing
- 04Internal ratios are imprecise — Loose structure
Execution framework
Enter at D (161.8% of XA) with reversal confirmation — same as standard Crab. The deep B gives additional context for target setting.
Beyond 200% of XA, or a measured distance past D.
T1: Point B. T2: Point A. Given the deep B, the T1 target is closer, so consider holding for T2.
Similar to standard Crab — 1:3 or better when the 161.8% level holds.
Context matters
The Deep Crab is for advanced harmonic traders who can distinguish the 88.6% B retracement from a standard Crab. The trading approach at D is essentially identical.
- 01Precise 88.6% B and 161.8% D measurements
- 02Volume climax at D
- 03Sharp reversal candle at completion
- 04Prior Crab or Butterfly failed at same area
- 01B retracement is ambiguous (could be standard)
- 02No volume climax at D
- 03Price drives past 161.8% without pausing
- 04Messy internal structure
If you see a Crab with an unusually deep B point, you're looking at a Deep Crab. The trading approach at D is the same — the distinction helps with internal ratio validation.
Compare the full pattern set
Use the library to compare similar structures before deciding what the chart is actually building.