PORT PHILLIP BAY


Shaggy Seaweed Crab 

Anacinetops stimpsoni (Miers, 1879)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Eyestalks with more than two-thirds exposed in dorsal view. Rostral spines broad, deflexed; postorbital lobe and intercalated spine subequal, broad and blunt; carapace without dorsal tubercles. Basal antennal article with strong simple distolateral spine.

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:
Majidae
Subfamily:
Majinae
Genus:
Anacinetops
Species:
stimpsoni

General Description

Eyestalks with more than two-thirds exposed in dorsal view. Rostral spines broad, deflexed; postorbital lobe and intercalated spine subequal, broad and blunt; carapace without dorsal tubercles. First antennal article with strong simple distolateral spine. Carapace up to 29 mm wide.

Biology

Shaggy Seaweed Crabs are difficult to find because of the camouflage they accumulate over their body. The camouflage, usually algae, sea mosses, etc., is attached by hooks or grows directly on the exoskeleton and mimics the crab's environment, sometimes completely hiding the animal.

Habitat

Dredged from sand and rubble bottom, depth 3-22 m.

Soft substrates

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

East Indo-west Pacific Oceans including most states of Australia.

Species Group

Crabs and allies Crabs

Depth

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

Water Column

On or near sea floor

Max Size

3 cm

Diet

Organic matter

Harmful

Not harmful but a nip from large claws could be painful

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

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, Shaggy Seaweed Crab, Anacinetops stimpsoni, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 27 Jul 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5481

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