PORT PHILLIP BAY


Sea Toad 

Paramithrax barbicornis (Latreille, 1825)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Carapace pear-shaped, strongly narrowing anteriorly, dorsally weakly tuberculate, with hooked setae. Rostral spines subparallel, partially fused. Supraorbital margin comprising eave with rounded preorbital angle, obsolete antorbital spine, intercalated spine, and short conical postorbital spine separated from eave by narrow fissures. Basal antennal article notched before anterolateral angle produced as short crenulate tooth, with short distomesial spine. Walking legs with propodi cylindrical.

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:
Paramithrax
Species:
barbicornis

General Description

Carapace pear-shaped, strongly narrowing anteriorly, dorsally weakly tuberculate, with hooked setae. Rostral spines subparallel, partially fused. Supraorbital margin comprising eave with rounded preorbital angle, obsolete antorbital spine, intercalated spine, and short conical postorbital spine separated from eave by narrow fissures. Basal antennal article notched before anterolateral angle produced as short crenulate tooth, with short distomesial spine. Walking legs with propodi cylindrical. Up to 3 cm long.

Biology

This species has a characteristic crenulate tooth on the basal antennal article which, together with the shorter rostral spines, distinguishes it from species of Notomithrax.

Habitat

Rocky subtidal reef.

Soft substrates

Reefs

Distribution guide

Southern temperate oceans, including southern Australia.

Species Group

Crabs and allies Crabs

Depth

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

Native to 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, Sea Toad, Paramithrax barbicornis, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 10 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/5488

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