Leptograpsodes

Burrowing shore crab
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Leptograpsodidae
Guinot, Ng & Rodríguez Moreno, 2018[3]
Genus: Leptograpsodes
Montgomery, 1931[2]
Species:
L. octodentatus
Binomial name
Leptograpsodes octodentatus
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Cyclograpsus octodentatus H. Milne Edwards, 1837
    • Grapsus inornatus Hess, 1865
    • Heterograpsus octodentatus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)
    • Leptograpsodes webhaysi Montgomery, 1931

Leptograpsodes octodentatus, known as the burrowing shore crab,[4] is a species of crab in the superfamily Grapsoidea,[5] It is the only species in the genus Leptograpsodes,[2] and the family Leptograpsodidae.[3]

Description

It is up to 60 to 70 mm (2.4 to 2.8 in) across,[5][6] with an oval shaped carapace.[5] The species epithet octodentatus refers to four pairs of teeth (including the orbital angle) on the sides of the carapace,[4] although the fourth is very small.[7] Some references list one tooth only.[5] Color varies with the carapace described as grey and yellow, mottled green and brown, purple and yellow.[6] It can produce sound by stridulation.[6]

Sexual dimorphism

Adult males have large claws with curved fingers, with irregular teeth, whereas in females and juveniles the fingers are straight, with regular teeth.[4] These differences caused them to originally be given multiple species names.[citation needed]

Environment

It is typically found on southern Australian seashores in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia (north to the Abrolhos islands),[4][6] and tends to live near fresh or brackish water,[4] but never far from the shore.[4] It lives in shallow burrows, above the high tide line, and comes out to feed at night, on rotting vegetation and animal debris.[4] Spawning is in summer from December to January.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b WoRMS. "Leptograpsodes octodentatus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  2. ^ a b WoRMS. "Leptograpsodes Montgomery, 1931". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  3. ^ a b WoRMS. "Leptograpsodidae Guinot, Ng & Rodriguez Moreno, 2018". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h George, R. W. (1962-09-15). "The Burrowing Shore Crab of Southern Australiia". Australian Natural History. XIV (3): 71–74.
  5. ^ a b c d Taylor, J.; Poore, G. (2010). "Leptograpsodes octodentatus Burrowing Shore Crab in Museums Victoria Collections". Museums Victoria. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  6. ^ a b c d Guinot, D; Ng, N. K. G.; Rodriguez Moreno, P. A. (2018-12-21). "Review of grapsoid families for the establishment of a new family for Leptograpsodes Montgomery, 1931, and a new genus of Gecarcinidae H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Crustacea, Decapoda,Brachyura,Grapsoidea Macleay, 1838)". Zoosystema. 40 (26): 545–604. doi:10.5252/zoosystema2018v40a26.
  7. ^ Griffin, D. J. G. (1969-04-18). "Notes on the taxonomy and zoogeography of the Tasmanian grapsid and ocypodid crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura)". Records of the Australian Museum. 27 (18): 323–347]. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.27.1969.452.


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