PORT PHILLIP BAY


Lamellate Sponge Crab 

Stimdromia lamellata (Ortmann, 1894)

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 low straight ridge. 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:
lamellata

General Description

Subhepatic region (area under and between eye and anterolateral tooth) with a low straight ridge. Inner surface of sixth segment (propodus) of male claw (cheliped) hairy only distally, outer surface granular. Walking legs 1 and 2 (pereopod 2-3) with fifth and sixth segment (carpus and propodus) sharply ridged. Up to 2.5 cm wide.

Biology

Sponge crabs carry about with them a piece of living sponge, sea squirt, soft coral or shell that acts as its camouflage. The last legs end in tiny pincers which can only be seen when the sponge is taken off. 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. Species of Stimdromia are unusual among crabs in that young crabs hatch from the eggs carried by the female and stay with the mother for several weeks. There is no planktonic larval stage.

Habitat

Intertidal, to depths of 120 m.

Soft substrates

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

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

25 mm

Diet

Organic matter

Harmful

Not harmful but a nip from large claws could be painful.

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Species Code

MoV 1760

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, Lamellate Sponge Crab, Stimdromia lamellata, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 09 Oct 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5471

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