Platypodiella spectabilis
| Platypodiella spectabilis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Xanthidae |
| Genus: | Platypodiella |
| Species: | P. spectabilis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Platypodiella spectabilis (Herbst, 1794)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Platypodiella spectabilis, the gaudy clown crab, is a species of crab in the family Xanthidae.[1]
| Video of gaudy clown crab behaviour | |
|---|---|
| Gaudy Clown Crab - East End, Grand Cayman |
Habitat
Crabs of the genus Platypodiella are well known to live in close association with zoanthid corals, especially preferring corals of the genus Palythoa. They dig holes in the corals to live in and occupy crevasses around dead coral. Gaudy clown crabs have additionally been recorded creating similar holes in sponges, specifically Niphates digitalis at a site in Statia (Sint Eustatius) in the Lesser Antilles.[2]
References
- ^ Williams, Austin B.; Abele, Lawrence G.; Crustacean Society. Committee on the Names of Decapod Crustaceans (1989). Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada. Internet Archive. Bethesda, Md. : American Fisheries Society. ISBN 978-0-913235-49-2.
- ^ Garcia-Hernandez, J. E.; Reimer, J. D.; Hoeksema, B. W. (2016-03-01). "Sponges hosting the zoantharia-associated crab Platypodiella spectabilis at St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean". Coral Reefs. 35 (1): 209–209. doi:10.1007/s00338-015-1364-1. ISSN 1432-0975.
External links
- Photos of Platypodiella spectabilis in the Sealife Collection
- Images of Platypodiella spectabilis at Reef Guide