PORT PHILLIP BAY


Chubby-cheeked Crab 

Ebalia dentifrons Miers, 1886

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Carapace, excluding frontal region immediately behind eyes, densely covered with low circular granules; hepatic region with prominent bulbous projection; lateral margins with 3 prominent evenly-spaced projections; posterior margin evenly rounded, without angular posterolateral projections. Orbits open to antennal fossa. Exopod of maxilliped 3 distinctly shorter than endopod. Abdominal somites 3-6 fused (sometimes 3-5 in male). Male with indistinct tooth on abdominal somite 6, directed away from telson.

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:
Leucosiidae
Subfamily:
Ebaliinae
Genus:
Ebalia
Species:
dentifrons

General Description

Posterior margin of carapace rounded, without any conical or angular projections, anterolateral margin strongly swollen and separated from lateral projection by notch; carapace densely covered with low circular granules. Up to 13 mm wide.

Biology

Many members of this family of crabs are apparently nocturnal; during the day they can be found partly buried in the sediment. At night they forage for invertebrates, though they also scavenge dead material.

Habitat

Intertidal, to 102 m depth.

Soft substrates

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans, including southern 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

13 mm

Diet

Organic matter

Harmful

Not harmful but a nip from claws could be painful.

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 3585

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, Chubby-cheeked Crab, Ebalia dentifrons, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5480

Text: creative commons cc by licence