CRINCH! The Crab of the Day!

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Teresa Zubi

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 08/26/2016: The Spectacled Box Crab or Calappa philargius is an Indo-Asiatic species of “Shame-Faced” crab. Named for the darker rings around its recessed eyes, C. philargius hags out, mostly buried in the muddy/shelly substrates it calls home. Spectacled Box Crabs have specialized ‘reverse-forcep’ chelipeds, perfect for can-opening a snail out of its shell. Though these crabs are often caught for eating and occasionally sold in markets, more often than not they find their way into Chinese traditional medicine! Called (馒头蟹) “Man Tou Xie, the ground up powder made from C. philargius’ shell is said to be able to alleviate pain, kill parasites, ease chest pain, and cure ringworm of the foot.

Photo credit: Eco-Photo Explorers

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=209500
http://species-identification.org/speci ... pan&id=703

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Benjamin Naden

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 08/27/2016: Quadrella maculosa, or The Black Coral Crab is a fantastic little family Trapeziidae species, named for the Indo-Pacific Antipathes (sp) Black Corals on which it lives in commensal symbiosis. Making these corals their home from the megalopa/juvenile stage, these crabs do not harm the coral; rather they feed off nutrient rich mucus produced by the coral and the plankton that drifts by. Occasionally Q. maculosa (as is the case with most Tetralia and Trapezia species) will pair up to defend the host coral from other crabs or predators like the Crown of Thorns Starfish.

Photo credit: ScubaLuna Photography

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=210305
http://eol.org/pages/2984015/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: J. Poupin

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 08/28/2016: Anomalothir furcillatus, or The Forked Crab is a family Inachidae species of deep-water Spider Crab, found in the Central Atlantic- from The Gulf of Mexico to the West Indies and Brazil. This marine monster has an INCREDIBLE range of depth tolerance, from a relatively shallow 50 meter zone to a far more pressure affected 700 meter zone. First catalogued by rockstar American scientist William Stimpson in 1871, A. furcillatus was more completely linked to the genus ‘Anomalothir’ during the USCSS Blake Expeditions of 1878; six years after Stimpson’s death.

Fun Fact: The Latin suffix ‘furcillatus’ means “pointed like a fork, or forked.”

Photo credit: J. Poupin

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=421949
http://www.gbif.org/species/2226574

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: François Michonneau

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 08/29/2016: Petrolisthes scabriculus, or The Rough Porcelain Crab, (粗糙岩瓷蟹 in Taiwanese) is a fantastic Indo-Oceana species of hirsute porcelain crab. Possessing a knobby carapace and a bristly covering of setae, this crab is perhaps the LEAST “porcelain-like” of all the genus Petrolisthes crabs. Presumed to be for purposes of detritus/food filtering, the highly specialized body design of P. scabriculus is nevertheless susceptible to some highly specialized parasites, namely Rhizocephalans (parasitic barnacles) of the order Akentrogonida.

Photo credit: Arthur Anker, 2005

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=414639
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?sear ... cabriculus

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Chris Lukhaup

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 08/31/2016: The Bamboo Shrimp, or Atyopsis moluccensis is a fascinating Southeast Asiatic (Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) species of crabkin™ known for its EXTREMELY specialized “Fan Hands!” This little shrimp has ‘flower-like fans’ in place of pincers on their front four legs, leading it to also be called the Flower Shrimp, Asian Filter Shrimp , Wood Shrimp, and Fan Shrimp. A. moluccensis uses these structures to grab micro-particles of food in the water by scooping and folding the fan onto floating particles, then cleaning them off/eating via highly specialized mandibles. Though this species requires brackish water during its larval stage, in order to successfully develop, it is nevertheless VERY popular with aquarium enthusiasts for its peaceful, friendly disposition, and the fact that fans-aside, it is clawless and therefore harmless to fish.

Photo credit: Chris Lukhaup

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=586093
http://zipcodezoo.com/index.php/Atyopsis_moluccensis

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Chris Lukhaup

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/01/2016: Cycloxanthops vittatus, or The Leopard Crab is a beautiful family Xanthidae pebble crab living in The Gulf of California, Mexico, Panama, and the Galapagos Islands. Like all of the other Genus Cycloxanthops pebble crabs, C. vittatus exhibits extremely distinct carapace color and shape. Typically found hiding in the shallow-bed vegetation and rock at the 0 – 35 meter depth zone, the sight of a Leopard Crab will make a diver’s day!

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=444240
http://eol.org/pages/4259637/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Arthur Anker

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/02/2016: Eucrate laevis, or the Marubagani. (マルバガニ) This Polynesia-through-East Asia and Oceana family Euryplacidae species (synonymous with Platyozius laevis) is known for its beautiful carapace, and distinct postfrontal ridges. Despite its small size, E. laevis has a ferocious demeanor- willing to snap at much larger creatures in a honey-badger like show of bravado. Additionally, this crab is can subsist in a variety or reef and sea surface environs at the 1-200 meter depth ranges. In Japan, these brightly decorated little guys are referred to as "Marubagani" which in typical Japanese fashion contains both "maru" meaning 'circle' and "maruba' which means 'tall.'

A more figurative translation reveals the wordplay here in either "tall among a small circle," or "tall in one's own circle" - essentially the Joe Pesci of crabs!

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=440920
http://eol.org/pages/4271258/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Brian Mayes

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/04/2016: Lybia caestifera, or The Decorator Boxer Crab is an extremely distinct ‘Pom Pom’ crab, found in parts of Asia, the South Pacific, and Oceana. One of the more cryptic boxer crab species, this odd fellow prefers to decorate itself with a variety of hydroids, coral bits, plants, sponges, and other anemones in addition to the two anemones it carries. Slightly smaller than the Mosaic Boxer Crab, (Lybia tesellata) L. caestifera apparently needs additional protection and camouflage.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=208968
http://www.marinebio.org/species.asp?id=5730

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Skaphandrus, 2016

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/06/2016: Chirostylus dolichopus, or The Deep Sea Squat Lobster is a beautiful family Chirostylidae species of ‘sqauttie’ found in the West Pacific Ocean: Malaysia to Japan. Living congruent with coastal reef gorgonians, C. dolichopus differs from other squat lobsters with its small spider-crab-like body, (usually no greater than 5 cm) illustrating the phenomena of ‘carcinization’ or the tendency for higher order decapods to develop a more crablike body morphology.

Generally found at the 20m +/- depth zone, Chirostylus dolichopus is characterized by its brilliant red and yellow colored stripes, and the spot pattern on the meri of its ambulatory pereopods.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=391985
http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/324846- ... dolichopus

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Frédéric André, 2013

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/07/2016: Podophthalmus vigil, The Long-Eyed Swimming Crab (sometimes The Long-Eyed Sentinel Crab) is an Indo-Pacific, family Portunidae swimmer with a distinct ‘angular football’ shaped carapace, long (usually blue) shell-lateral eyestalks, and gnarly spines. On the whole, marine biologists aren’t entirely sure of the exact purpose of this eyeball morphology; nevertheless, it makes for one unusual critter. Living in the muddy and silty sea-beds found in bays, harbors, fishponds, and estuaries- P. vigil is very rarely seen by divers, outside cultured populations as it is the only species of Podophthalmus with commercial value.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=208884
http://species-identification.org/speci ... an&id=1170

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Bettina Sparber, 2016

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/10/2016: Coenobita violascens, or The Viola Hermit Crab is a species of terrestrial hermit crab, native to the Nicobar Islands, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Seychelles, Japan and Tanzania. Starting out orange as a juvenile and turning dark blue-to-purple in adulthood, these nocturnal crabs prefer salt-adjacent moist areas to burrow in. Interestingly enough, C. violascens tends to choose longer cone shells as they allow for greater growth/longer time to pass between switching shells.

In Japan these crabs (called “Komurasaki” hermit crabs there) are largely popular as pets.

Photo credit: LA Productions/Aqualandpetsplus, 2014

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=246264
http://eol.org/pages/2991233/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: J. Poupin

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/11/2016: Leptomithrax sternocostulatus, or The Ribbed Spider Crab is a family Majidae species of Southern Pacific reef spider crab. This Milne-Edwards species is distinct in that it possesses 2 branchial spines on its carapace margin and a third spine further back. In other words: its spikey. Additionally, this is another spider crab with a ‘piriform’ or pear-shaped body. Lesser spines on the Ribbed Spider’s shell seem to promote algae and plant growth, similar to decorator crabs, creating a denser camouflage pattern, ensuring it is less commonly seen.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=442018
http://www.gbif.org/species/4645817

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Pablo Londone

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/12/2016: Cancer johngarthi, The John (Shrader) Garth Crab is Eastern Pacific Ocean (Mexico to Panama) species rendered separate from its close cousin, C. porteri in 1989. C. johngarthi differs from C. porteri chiefly in the "paper shell" texture of the carapace- a fact discovered by the crab’s namesake, later leading to commercial economic significance via a small-scale fishery off Baja California, operated by the government of Mexico.

Rounder and more “chubby” than other Cancer crabs, this benign appearance is further supported by the fact that C. johngarthi is listed by the IUCN as “Harmless- NO threat to humans.”

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=440379
http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/260612- ... johngarthi

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Moorea Biocode, 2007

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/13/2016: Etisus dentatus, or The Spiny Spooner Crab is an Indo-Pacific species of intertidal roof crab, known for having from three to seven large crochet-needle shaped teeth on its carapace margins. Living in shallow water, Etisus dentatus (Also called the Eight-spine Red Crab) uses complex olfactory and tactile cues as part of its precopulatory courtship rituals. Due to its predatory predilection for toxic shellfish and slugs, in some areas the meat of E. dentatus is poisonous to eat.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=209113
http://species-identification.org/speci ... an&id=1334

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Arthur Anker

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/15/2016: Johngarthia weileri, or The São Tomé Land Crab is a predominantly terrestrial crab hailing from the Eastern Atlantic and most notably, coastal cape-side of Western and Central Africa. This family Gecarcinidae crab (first catalogued by Sendler in 1912) differs from other land crabs in that its megalops migrates inland into fully terrestrial habitats before molting for the first time. Other land crabs, so far as is known, will molt BEFORE moving inland.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=444455
http://eol.org/pages/12168890/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: David Luquet

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/16/2016: Acanthonyx lunulatus, or the Leaf Spider Crab is a bright little family Epialtidae Majoidfound in the North Atlantic through the Mediterranean Sea. This crab has a rectangular-shaped shell with 3 teeth on the lateral edges, and a bright red, beige, or green color, allowing it to blend in with the red, beige, or green (imagine that!) kelp on which it lives. A. lunulatus occurs most often between 0 m and 5 m though can live up to 20 m deep. Leaf Spiders are opportunistic and will consume algae, fauna, and other small organisms attached to the substrate.

Fun taxonomic fact: Acanthonyx comes from the Greek [acanth] = thorn, pricking, and [ony(x)] nail: therefore, “thorn nails.” Lunulatus: is the diminutive of the Latin [lunula] = growing.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=107312
http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Ta ... xid=178989

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Moorea Biocode/Encyclopedia of Life, 2010

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/17/2016: Pagurus maclaughlinae, or Maclaughlin's Hermit Crab is a marine species of hermit, most common in the US coastal Atlantic- namely the Gulf of Mexico. This abundant crab is a unique sea-grass grazer; carving out an important ecological niche for itself by reducing epiphyte cover on the individual blades. P. maclaughlinae can attribute much of its success and the fact remains the most abundant and widespread hermit crabs of the region to its relatively wide salinity tolerance. Additionally, the zoea of this family Paguridae species have a sophisticated means of detecting and fleeing/following ambient underwater sound emanating from coastal habitats.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=366724
http://eol.org/pages/313375/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Colin L Mclay and Andrew Hosie

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/18/2016: The Panama Shellback Crab, or Hypoconcha panamensis is a predominantly Pacific-Central and Upper South American (with an outlying population living near the Galapagos) shell-carrying family Dromiidae species. This unique “Oxistomatos” crab hangs out in the sandy beds, coral and rocks found in the 300 m +/- depth zone. Like all other shellback crabs, H. panamensis carries other animals' shells as a means of protection.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=440123
http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazon ... ists/8455/

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Photo J. Poupin

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/20/2016: Rochinia tanneri, or The Thorned Spiny Crab (THORNS AND SPINES!?!?!) is a fascinating family Pisidae species known for its extensive limbs and spikey horns! This Western Atlantic crab lives at depths GREATER than 100 m, where it scavenges for tasty tidbits in the hard rock and rubble. In addition to horns and spikes, this crab is covered in a layer of pokey setae, making it as close to a cactus as an underwater animal can be!

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=158456
http://eol.org/pages/313439/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Shawn Miller

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/27/2016: The Okinawa Soldier Crab, or Mictyris guinotae is a predominantly Japanese/Taiwanese species that distinctly looks like it’s wearing a helmet! This Family Mictyridae crab is primarily endemic to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is named after Danièle Guinot, a professor at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in France. These crabs live in colonies of hundreds to hundreds of thousands of individuals, in flat tidal lagoon areas. At low-tide, they form large swarms or "armies" that cross the lagoons en masse. At high tide they burrow under the sand.

As their main natural predators are shore birds, (SEAGULLS!) they are sensitive to bird shadows, moving quickly away from them towards the shelter of the water. The predictable response-behavior of these crabs has led them to be used to replace the billiard balls in “billiard-ball computers.” In experiments, swarms of up to 40 crabs were herded down corridors by images of predatory bird shadows. When the configuration of the corridors caused two swarms to meet, they interacted in predictable ways!

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=472928
http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/bismal/e/view/9012508
https://flic.kr/p/9jk2jw

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Tin-Yam Chan, Biota Taiwanica

CRINCH! The BONUS #CrabOfTheDay for 09/27/2016: Aliaporcellana kikuchii, or the Ka-Shì Yìcíxiè (卡氏異瓷蟹) sometimes through some trick of Mandarin Chinese translation wizardry, is also called "Card's Porcelain Crab," is a tiny family Porcellanidae species of (China/Japan/Taiwan) East Asiatic porcelain crab. Rendered taxonomically distinct from other related crabs somewhat recently, A. kikuchii differs from its close cousins in both its mottled light brown ‘camouflage’ coloration, and the stiff setae on its dorsal surface.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=410086
http://www.eol.org/pages/10306543/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Christophe Moreau

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/28/2016: The Amethyst Retainer Shrimp, or Periclimenes amethysteus, sometimes called the “Partner Shrimp,” is an Aegean, Mediterranean, and Adriatic species of commensal ‘Caridean Shrimp.’ This crazy shrimp acts as a ‘groomer’ for the other sea critters it lives on and adjacent to- most notably the ‘Blood Sea Slug, Hexabranchus sanguineus. This stunning Antoine Risso invertebrate generally hangs out in the 15 m +/- depth range.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=107627
http://eol.org/pages/1039944/overview

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Chien-Hu Yang

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/29/2016: Pachycheles pectinicarpus, or The Green Porcelain Crab is a beautiful yet mysterious East Asiatic family Porcellanidae species. This Stimpson-catologued beastie has the classic ‘broad with chunky claws’ porcelain crab shape, yet is predominantly bright green or shades of bluish brown. P. pectinicarpus has extremely stubby, flattened claws, (even by Porcelain Crab standards) covered with lumpy tubercles. Its walking legs have irregular tufts of dense setae. Found only in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Hainan Island, this crab stays predominantly at the 2m depth range.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=410125
http://www.sealifebase.org/summary/Pach ... arpus.html

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Izuoshima Diving Center

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 09/30/2016: Pugettia vulgaris, or The Arasakimogani (アラサキモガニ) is a majoid family Epialtidae species found historically in Japan, and more recently in Korea. Named for Arasaki, Japan, this crab frequents rocky shellfish beds and often finds itself in scallop farms. This ‘spade shaped’ arthropod and its close cousin, Pugettia pellucens were both originally and erroneously described as a subspecies of Pugettia quadridens. P. vulgaris can be distinguished from its cousins by the presence of shorter rostral spines, and a carapace entirely covered with short setae.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... 6&from=rss
http://www.gbif.org/species/119415869
http://plazi.cs.umb.edu/GgServer/html/0 ... 5BFCEAF9EB

[Nezumiiro]

Photo credit: Cesare Dolzani

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 10/02/2016: Ocypode pallidula, or The Pallid Ghost Crab- sometimes called ‘The Pie Crust Crab,’ is a shy Indo-Pacific intertidal species. Commonly actively burrowing in sandy beaches during the day, these crabs can be seen THROWING clawfulls of sand upwards of four feet away! (Check the video!) Pallid Ghosts have such quick reaction times, they have been known to snatch flies from the bottom of leaves; often before the flies see it coming! Besides unsuspecting flies, these crabs eat detritus, algae, and other critters too slow to escape a good CRINCH!

Fun Fact: Intertidal fiddlers, such as O. pallidula are called ‘epibenthic.’

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=444993
http://eol.org/pages/1037646/overview