PORT PHILLIP BAY


Ridged Sponge Crab 

Stimdromia lateralis (Gray, 1831)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Carapace as wide or wider than long; surface smooth or granular. Rostrum tridentate, teeth broad and blunt; anterolateral margin with well developed teeth. Female sternal grooves end apart between walking legs 1. Cheliped with epipod. Walking legs 1 and 2 strongly nodular or ridged, like chelipeds. Walking leg 3 with 1 spine on propodus opposing dactylus, with 1 spine on outer margin. Walking leg 4 shorter than walking leg 1; with 1 spine on propodus opposing dactylus plus 1 spine on outer margin. Subhepatic region with a strong blunt tubercle. Uropods visible externally. Last 2 somites of abdomen free. Telson rounded or bilobed.

Source: Poore, G.C.B. (2004) Marine decapod Crustacea of southern Australia. A guide to identification (with chapter on Stomatopoda by Shane Ahyong). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 574 pp.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Subclass:
Eumalacostraca
Superorder:
Eucarida
Order:
Decapoda
Suborder:
Pleocyemata
Infraorder:
Brachyura
Family:
Dromiidae
Genus:
Stimdromia
Species:
lateralis

General Description

Subhepatic region (area under and between eye and anterolateral tooth) with a strong blunt tubercle. Inner surface of sixth segment (propodus) of male claw (cheliped) entirely hairy on outer surface smooth. Walking legs 1 and 2 (pereopod 2-3) with fifth and sixth segment (carpus and propodus) weakly ridged. Up to 2 cm wide.

Biology

Sponge crabs have the last two pairs of walking legs held over the top of the carapace and with tiny pincers to hold on to the sponge or sea squirt that acts as its camouflage. Because they rely on camouflage and move very little to escape detection by predators, sponge crabs can be difficult to spot under rocks or among algae.

Habitat

Under stones, usually associated with sponges or ascidians, low intertidal to depths of 220 m.

Soft substrates

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

New Zealand and Australia.

Species Group

Crabs and allies › Crabs

Depth

Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

2 cm

Diet

Organic matter

Harmful

Not harmful but a nip from large claws could be painful

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Species Code

MoV 3858

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Taylor, J.

Dr. Jo Taylor is the Sciences Collections Online Coordinator at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Poore, G.C.B.

Dr. Gary Poore is Principal Curator Emeritus at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Taylor, J. & Poore, G.C.B., 2011, Ridged Sponge Crab, Stimdromia lateralis, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5472

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