CRINCH! The Crab of the Day!

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Photo credit: Buddy Jonkers

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 05/16/2016: Cherax destructor, The Common Yabby is a crayfish species native to inland Australia and surrounding regions. Popular among aquarium enthusiasts for its color and foodies for its taste, this species is unfortunately listed on the threatened species list as ‘vulnerable.’

The color of Yabbies is highly variable and depends on water clarity and habitat- this can range from black, blue-black, or dark brown in clear waters to light brown, green-brown, or beige in turbid waters. Obviously the bright blue ones are the most popular!

http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/89134
http://eol.org/pages/3020238/overview

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Photo credit: Circolo Attività Subacquee Chieri

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 05/26/2016: Ephippias endeavouri, a.k.a. the Endeavour Crab is a Family Inachidae species, first described by Rathbun in 1918. This purple hued, distinctly triangular, and predominantly South Australian Spider Crab is named after the vessel 'F.I.S. Endeavour,' an (F.I.S. = Fisheries Investigation Ship) exploratory HMS trawler which sank on 5 December, 1914 near Macquarie Island . E. endeavouri inhabits Southern Aussie sub-littoral zones, at depths up to 50m.

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?sear ... vouri&l=ri
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=441902

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Photo credit: Jose Maria Hernandez Otero

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 05/27/2016: Ebalia dentifrons, or the Chubby-Cheeked Crab (YES, that’s its common name!) is a leucosiidae family ‘Pill Crab,’ native to Australian Waters. The presence of low circular granules and bulbous projections on the forward portion of its carapace, give this species its characteristic fat-mime-face appearance.

Like Mr. Chubby-Cheeks here, many members of this family of crabs are nocturnal; during the day they can be found partly buried in the sea-floor sediment. At night they forage for invertebrates, though they also scavenge dead material and plant bits.

While most the wildlife in Australia would love nothing more than to poison/murder you, these crabs are listed by the Government as being “not harmful- but a nip from claws could be painful.”

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=441117
http://www.marine.csiro.au/caabsearch/c ... e=28876040

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Photo credit: Denis Riek, 2013

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 05/28/2016: Trigonoplax longirostris, The Triangle Crab is a fragile little South Australian reef species living among the weeds below the tide line. This family Hymenosomatidae crab is named for its triangular carapace, Latinized in its name as ‘trigon.’ This 'Leaf Crab' species uses its fine claws to pick up tiny fragments of food among the grasses and other plant life where it hides. As with any small benthic invertebrate of soft sediments, hymenosomatids feature in the diet of demersal fishes.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=441835
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?sear ... lose&wep=0

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Photo credit: Poupin/Cléva

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 05/29/2016: Pylopaguropsis keijii, or Keiji's Hermit Crab is a stunningly purple Indo-Pacific family Paguridae species found on the regional reefs. Living cryptic in rubble at scuba depths, this crab seldom gets larger than 1/5 an inch across the body. P. keijii is easily identifiable by its purple legs and large fleshy-colored right claw.

http://www.sealifebase.org/summary/Pylo ... eijii.html
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=366922

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Photo credit: Deepseawaters, 2015

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 05/30/2016: The Seabiscuit Pea Crab or Dissodactylus crinitichelis is a family Pinnotheridae species of ectoparasitic crab find primarily on irregular echinoderms (Sea Urchins) including Seabiscuits and Sand Dollars. D. crinitichelis lives on the outer surface of these creatures, feeding off of small bits of trapped detritus while clinging firmly to their spines as a refuge against predation. These crabs are the most generalist of pea crab species, based on a tolerance to a greater variety of environmental conditions and 6-10 different echinoid hosts, on which it can live. Oddly enough, these little guys have evolved a polygamous mating system where males and females move between hosts in the search for potential mates. Parentage analyses revealed that polyandry is frequent and concerns more than 60% of clutches, with clutches being fertilized by up to 6 different fathers.

D. crinitichelis is found in the Gulf of Mexico, Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Territories, and Southeastern Continental US.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=422151
http://eol.org/pages/1021489/media

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Photo credit: Brenda Bowling, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 05/31/2016: The Square-Backed Marsh Crab, or Armases cinereum is one a several semi-terrestrial crab species occupying the intertidal habitats of the Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic. Possessing a distinctive brown to olive colored carapace, this tiny crab is commonly seen above the high water line among rocks, on dock pilings, under debris on beaches and in high elevations of salt marshes and mangrove forests. The diet of A. cinereum is considered “truly omnivorous”, with crabs consuming plant and animal tissue including leaf litter and fungi. If you’re a smaller crab species or snail in the region, LOOK OUT! You might get CRINCHED by one of these guys!

http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/S ... lue=621739
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=158049

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Photo credit: Stan O'Donnell

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/01/2016: Lysmata wurdemanni, or The Peppermint Shrimp is an amazing family Hippolytidae species, prized by saltwater aquarium enthusiasts for its amazing striped color and its predilection for seeking out and eating parasites and tank pests. Native to Key West, the Atlantic seaboard of the United States, and the Gulf of Mexico, this reef-dweller has an easy demeanor making it ideal for cohabitation in reef tanks.

"Cleaner" shrimp get their name from their habit of picking external parasites, dead scales and other irritants off of the surface of other fish. Some fish will actively seek out a cleaner shrimp to clean them while a select group of others can become irritated or stressed by the shrimp's "good intentions."

http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/S ... alue=96893
http://eol.org/pages/344576/overview

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Photo credit: Ilan Lubitz

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/03/2016: Haledromia bicavernosa, or The Eared Sponge Crab is a South Australian family Dromiidae ‘carrier’ crab. This infrequently spotted crab inhabits extremely shallow inter-tidal zones. This crab has an EXTREMELY bright red carapace, with kidney-shaped cavities on its rostrum which, when combined with rear-facing grasping legs, make a perfect 'seat' for a carried sponge fragment! H. bicavernosa is most famous however for having some of the largest eggs of any marine brachyurian crab!

http://eol.org/pages/12170806/overview
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=440087

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Photo credit: Uri Kolker

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/04/2016: Potamon potamios, or The Cyprus Freshwater Crab, (סרטן הנחלים) is a partially terrestrial river crab, occurring around the Eastern Mediterranean, iextending as far South and West as the Sinai Peninsula. An important element in the aquatic biota of the region, this crab is a textbook example of “heterochely” or the phenomena of having different sized claws. Populations of P. potamios may be under immediate and long-term threat from rapid anthropogenic changes affecting its habitat, thus the species is assessed by IUCN Red List as Near Threatened. (NT)

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=442960
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/S ... lue=199979

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Photo credit: Jan Haaga

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/05/2016: Hapalogaster mertensii, or the "Hairy Crab" is a Lithodid ‘crab cousin’ from the Aleutian Islands to Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. Possesing very distinct body morphology, the 5th walking leg pair of this species is small and curled up, and their chelipeds are unequal in size with a spiny surface. Found in the loose rocks and crevices of the cold depths, H. mertensii is often seen clinging to seaweed.

The Scientific name is Greek for “hapal” (soft, tender) and “gaster.” (belly, stomach) SOFTBELLY!

http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/S ... alue=97924
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=590107

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Photo credit: David Harasti

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/06/2016: Dardanus pedunculatus, or The Anemone Hermit Crab, is an Indo-Pacific species which places sea anemones on its shell for defense, and as a predator (Usually Octopi) deterrent. D. pedunculatus has a technique of collecting anemones at night by ‘stroking and tapping’ the anemone until it loosens its grip on the substrate, at which point it is moved onto the gastropod shell that the hermit crab inhabits.

http://eol.org/pages/1038121/overview
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=208702

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Photo credit: Shadows, 2005

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/07/2016: Tachypleus tridentatus, or the Tri-Spine Horseshoe Crab- ALSO commonly known as the Chinese/Japanese Horseshoe Crab, is a species found in the seas off China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Named because of the three large spiny processes on either side of the carapace, T. tridentatus is an omnivore and feeds on mollusks, worms, other benthic invertebrates and algae.

The Tri-Spine Horseshoe Crab is at risk from over-fishing, pollution and the loss of their breeding grounds. Populations have declined for decades, and the species was granted protection in Japan in 1928. In China it has become less common and, from being once abundant in Taiwan, it is now seldom seen inshore there.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=238270
http://www.horseshoecrab.org/nh/species.html

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Photo credit: Nigel Stott, Natural-Japan.net

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/09/2016: Chiromantes haematocheir, Called Akategani (あかてがに/アカテガニ) in Japan, is an Indo-Pacific red-clawed land crab, common on mountains and mudflats near freshwater sources. This tiny family Sesarmidae crab has a square carapace with a smooth surface and irregular stripes along the sides. Males have large, smooth chelae with curved claws. The color of these crabs varies throughout their development; juvenile crabs typically have a white or yellow carapace, while adults are usually crimson red.

http://species-identification.org/speci ... an&id=1706
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=444497

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Photo credit: French Navy School, Institut de Recherche de l'Ecole Navale (IRENAV)

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/11/2016: Pitho lherminieri, The Broadback Urn Crab is a family Epialtidae/subfamily Tychidae "Urn" Spider Crab from the Gulf of Mexico and Central America. Possessing a distinctly squat urn-shaped carapace with saw-toothed spines, The Broadback Urn Crab can be additionally identified by its feathery ‘Eyebrows’ posed over each of its stalked eyes. P. lherminieri was first catalogued by French physician and rockstar carcinologist, Dr. Isis Desbonne and his partner in crime Dr. A. Schramm in 1867.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=422018
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/S ... alue=98547

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Photo credit: Matthew Muir

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/12/2016: The Tufted Ghost Crab, or Ocypode cursor is a Mediterranean Sea/Levantine/African/North Atlantic shore crab that can be distinguished from other Ocypode crabs by the presence of a tuft of setae (bristles) extending from the tips of its eyestalks. Burrowing near the high-tide mark, Tufties are less tolerant of extremes of salinity and temperature than most fiddler crabs.

O. cursor is a predator, and frequently feeds on the eggs of sea turtles- making it somewhat of a pest for conservationists.

Photo credit: A.Gneist, 2009

http://eol.org/pages/344721/overview
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=107464

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Photo credit: Tony Whitten

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/13/2016: The Giri Putri Cave Crab or Karstama emdi is one of a select few karst-dwelling crabs formerly included in genus Sesarmoides. K. emdi has been classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR) on the IUCN Red List, living in ONLY two closely adjacent (and probably connected) caves on the east coast of Nusa Penida: From Paon cave, and Giri Putri Cave both in Karangsari hamlet, Suana Village. This crab is found on the muddy floor and lower walls of the cave. It shelters both in the small (7 cm diameter) drip pools in the floor when these are wet, or in clefts in the wall. It has relatively long legs, a common morphological adaptation to live in caves.

The primary threat to this crab is the increasing use of the cave by pilgrims and worshippers at the main cave of Giri Putri. In 1994 when the crab was discovered the infrastructure was minimal, but now there are walkways and seating across part of the cave floor, and electric lights. Six visits since the original discovery have noted a decline in the abundance of the crab, although some of that may have been caused by visits being undertaken in relatively dry periods when free water on the floor of the cave was less available. It is ALSO possible that the crabs benefit from food offerings left and spilled on the ground but this is not yet confirmed.

All species in the genus Karstarma are typically found in anchialine pools across the West Pacific.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=444571
http://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/467217-Karstarma-emdi

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Photo credit: Poupin & Corbari

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/14/2016: Charybdis hellerii, Indo-Pacific Swimming Crab, also called the ‘Spiny Hands Swimming Crab.’ Another A. Milne-Edwards species, C. hellerii can be easily identified by the two darker spots on its carapace, and the presence of spikes on its chelipeds. Often found in soft-bottom areas, under rocks and in corals from the intertidal zone, (30m - 51m) this exotic species is classified as Invasive as it can spread to- and inhabit a variety of biomes that meet its basic needs. Unfortunately, being a non-native portunid could potentially cause issue for native brachyuran crabs, as they both must compete for food and shelter.

Charybdis hellerii is commercially important in Southeast Asia as a culinary crab but no market exists for it in the United States.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=107382
http://species-identification.org/speci ... an&id=1122

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Photo credit: G. & Ph. Poppe

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/15/2016: The Six-Tooth Box Crab or Calappa torulosa is a brilliantly knobbly Indo-Pacific ‘Shame-Face,’ common in Japan, the Wallis Islands, Indonesia, Australia, the Marshall Islands, and the Philippines. Burrowing in the gravel bottoms at the 2m - 85m zone, C. torulosa is distinct for possessing kelp-like projections in its gill region and six teeth on its outer ‘palm’ surface. The Six-Tooth Box Crab was reclassified in 1997 by Dr. Bella S. Galil of the Tel Aviv University, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research. (IOLR)

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=440309
https://inpn.mnhn.fr/espece/cd_nom/595223?lg=en

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Photo credit: N. & J. Poupin, CRUSTA: Database of Crustacea

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/16/2016: Epialtus portoricensis: The pink Kelp Crab! This amazing family Epialtidae species hails from the Western Atlantic, namely South Florida, Cuba, the Antilles, the Caribbean Sea, Colombia, and Porto Rico. Hanging out on the rock and rubble in these shallow seas, E. portoricensis uses its long claws and specialized setae to attach predominantly PINK plants and bits of algae to its carapace.

http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/deta ... 1f69a04254
http://www.gbif.org/species/105802632

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Photo credit: Meerwasser

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/17/2016: Enoplometopus debelius, or Debelius' Purple Reef Lobster is a delightfully bright dwarf lobster native to Indo-Pacific waters, and commonly found in reef aquariums.
This little guy is a double edged sword in some tanks; while its orange and purple spotted coloration is quite a sight, its somewhat aggressive attitude means they don't typically play well with other reef dwellers. E. debelius is prone to burrowing in gravel and loose rock during the day, and scavenging or hunting at night. Caution must be taken when incorporating a Debelius into a reef aquarium, as it may harm small fish and other invertebrates. Additionally, ALL Reef Lobsters are very territorial and aggressive towards each other, so only one specimen, or a mated pair should be kept per tank.

Photo credit: Something Fishy, 2013

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=382834
http://eol.org/pages/312031/hierarchy_e ... 4/overview

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Photo credit: Derek Briggs

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/18/2016: Dibasterium durgae, the Silurian Fossil Horseshoe Crab is a relatively recently discovered fossil species, noteworthy for its many branched legs- leading it to being named after Durga, “the Hindu goddess with many arms.”Discovered in the 425 million-year-old rock of Herefordshire, England, these CRABCESTORS™ bridge the evolutionary gap between archaic arthropods and modern horseshoe crabs with unbranched legs, perfect for walking and feeding. In these later species, what once were the rear limbs have since evolved into part of the invertebrate’s gills.

Photo credit: Derek Briggs

http://scitechdaily.com/silurian-fossil ... crab-past/
http://news.yale.edu/2012/09/10/horsesh ... ome-and-go

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Photo credit: Bernadette, iNaturalist

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/19/2016: Polyonyx gibbesi or The Eastern Tube Crab (Haig, 1956) is a marine Porcellanidae species from the Central Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and North Atlantic Ocean. Living commensally in the U-shaped tubes of the Parchment Worm, (genus Chaetopterus) usually a mated pair of these crabs will develop from the zoeal stages into adulthood inside of one. Though this species is the most commonly found crab inside Atlantic marine polychaete worm tubes, (a prevalence of 79.7%) it is nevertheless, only one of two porcellanids recorded in New England- the other being Euceramus praelongus.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/crabby_ta ... 7750310822
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=158406
http://eol.org/pages/344421/overview

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Photo credit: Brian Mayes

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/20/2016: Actumnus setifer, The Short-Haired Crab is a unique family Pilumnidae (pilumnid) Rubble-Carrying crab. Found in the Red Sea, Mauritius, Seychelles, the South Pacific, the Polynesian Exclusive Economic Zone, and Tanzania- this species can be spotted by the odd movement of irregular pieces of coral rubble. Like other Rubble-Carrying crabs, A. setifer carries around bits of rock and dead coral as a means of camouflage and defense; sometimes even bits up to 1kg in weight! This crab has also been observed excavating holes in fixed and immobile live or dead corals, soft stones or sponges. If the crab’s piece of coral is overturned, the crab will turn it back the right way and scuttle back into its hiding place.

https://www.facebook.com/13689262968154 ... 524348660/
http://www.crustaceology.com/?t=68&u=66 ... 7e64059fff
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=210170

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Photo credit: J. Poupin

CRINCH! #CrabOfTheDay for 06/21/2016: Aniculus hopperae, The Reticulated Hawaiian Hermit, or Hopper's Hermit Crab is a family diogenidae, medium-sized species- uncommonly found ONLY in Hawaii. Easily distinguished by the dark brown spots at the 'elbow,' this hermit has either 13 or 14 pairs of gills (genetic) and matched pleopods in either sex.

http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php? ... &id=367403
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/S ... lue=660153