Paralomis zealandica
| Paralomis zealandica | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Anomura |
| Family: | Lithodidae |
| Genus: | Paralomis |
| Species: | P. zealandica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Paralomis zealandica | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
| |
Paralomis zealandica, also known as the prickly king crab,[4] is a species of king crab.[3] It is the most widespread species of Paralomis in New Zealand, where it is endemic and known at depths between 254–1,212 m (833–3,976 ft).[5]
Description
Paralomis zealandica has a pyriform carapace which is 0.90–1.05 times as long as it is wide.[6] It is overall ivory-white with the exception of the red-orange found on the spines of its dorsal carapace and in blotches on its legs.[5] The carapace, chelipeds, walking legs, and abdomen are all densely covered in spines,[7] although the dorsal spines eventually reduce to tubercles in adults.[5]
Distribution
Paralomis zealandica is known from the waters of southeastern New Zealand, where its known range extends from the Cook Strait down to the Bounty and Campbell Plateaus.[5][4] It is usually found on fine sand and mud bottoms at depths of 500–700 m (1,600–2,300 ft), but its full known range is 254–1,212 m (833–3,976 ft).[5][8]
Taxonomy
Paralomis zealandica was described in 1971 by Elliot Watson Dawson and John C. Yaldwyn.[2] The specific name "zealandica" derives from the type locality of New Zealand.[9]
See also
- Paralomis debodeorum, an extinct species which closely resembles P. zealandica
- List of crabs of New Zealand § Anomura
References
- ^ Funnell et al. 2023, p. 24.
- ^ a b Dawson & Yaldwyn 1971, pp. 51–54.
- ^ a b De Grave, Sammy (11 July 2022). "Paralomis zealandica Dawson & Yaldwyn, 1971". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Critter of the Week: The prickly king crab". National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Ahyong 2010, p. 184.
- ^ Ahyong 2010, p. 178.
- ^ Ahyong 2010, pp. 176, 179, 181.
- ^ Naylor, Webber & Booth 2005, p. 45.
- ^ Dawson & Yaldwyn 1971, p. 54.
Bibliography
- Dawson, Elliot Watson; Yaldwyn, John Cameron (6 April 1971). "Diagnosis of a new species of neolithodes (Crustacea: Anomura: Lithodidae) from New Zealand (note)" (PDF). Records of the Dominion Museum. 7 (7): 51–54. ISSN 0373-7233. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- Naylor, John Reynolds; Webber, W. Richard; Booth, John Duncan (2005). A guide to common offshore crabs in New Zealand waters (PDF) (Report). New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report. New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries. ISSN 1176-9440. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- Ahyong, Shane T. (2010). The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia, and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae) (PDF). NIWA Diversity Memoirs. Vol. 123. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. pp. 175–184. ISBN 978-0478232851. LCCN 2010497356. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 February 2020.
- Funnell, Greig; et al. (January 2023). Todd, Amanda (ed.). Conservation status of indigenous marine invertebrates in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021 (PDF) (Report). New Zealand Department of Conservation. ISBN 978-1-99-118365-1. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
External links
- Media related to Paralomis zealandica at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Paralomis zealandica at Wikispecies