TALK ABOUT A BAD HAIR DAY! All are of the Genus Mithrax. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Most crabs live in the oceans of the world, but there are a few that have taken to land and even some freshwater species. But regardless of what would appear to be a seriously sad state of affairs to us, crabs are pretty well adjusted creatures. LIFE’S A BEACH AND THEN YOU DIE They have also managed to come up with some very colorful and creative ways to stay alive. Tiger Cowries: The largest cowries in Hawaii. If by chance a dim-witted creature comes within grasp, they are capable of pinching someone’s head off, but for the most part they take what they can find. The marketing name chosen for Channel Clinging Crab was the Caribbean King Crab and its culture potential was developed by West Indies Mariculture, Ltd. Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. As they say, if you are going to have an attitude, then you might as well make the most of it. And what if, when you awoke, you had the flower in your hand? At low tide, fiddlers come out to eat the detritus along the shoreline and retreat to their burrows as the tide comes in. Well, if they’ve been arrested on the trot line, I’m afraid they are served a life-time sentence — on somebody’s plate that is, as a delectable soft-shell crab dinner. The whole package is typically round or oblong, looking somewhat like a Jamaican patty or pastie with legs and a couple of eyeballs. And what if, in your sleep, you dreamed? What is the difference between 'endemic' and 'indigenous' species? ScubaBoard.com is the world's largest scuba diving online community. Different name, same critter, Leopard Cone - The largest cone shell in Hawaii, Colony of Colorful Sea Whips (Ellisella ceratophyta), Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. I’d be a little crabby too under the circumstances. For the inhabitants of the watery realms, the daily drama is eat or be eaten. When she finally undergoes her pre-terminal molt (yes, another horror story I’ll get to later), then they are capable of copulating. The meat is often dipped in vinegar to give the taste a lift. The Decorator Crabs are not as savvy in the styling salons, but are true pioneers in camouflage coordination. Quick Facts - Also known as the Reef Spider Crab, Coral Crab, or - particularly on local menus - the King Crab. A common denominator for all clinging crabs is the blunted tips of the claws that fit together like small rows of teeth. Well, it’s more than just an attitude for some, and for those poor souls, there is simply no adjusting. Crabs are mainly scavengers of sorts, underwater vultures that feed on the leftover carrion of the sea. The claws fit perfectly against the shell, making a compact box of a crab. The color of the carapace and walking legs is reddish-brown, the claws are purplish-gray. "The crab should be eaten by taking apart the stomach cover and eating the roe and then the meat. When you’re feeling a bit crabby, think of the poor cantankerous crabs and all the deserving reasons they have for being the way they are. And watch out for falling rocks and predators — it’s easy to lose a leg or a life at this stage. Copyright 2009-2010 Les Fruits De Mer - All rights reserved, The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin, Notes on Conservation and Selected Areas of Interest, Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), Pearly-eyed Thrasher (Margarops fuscatus), Angerona Hairstreak (Electrostrymon angerona), Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius cassioides), Columella Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon columella), Disjunct Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon bubastus ponce), Tropical Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus oileus), White Oleander Caterpillar Moth (Epyreuma affinis), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Red-footed Tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria), Spiny-backed Orbweaver (Gasteracantha cancriformis). This makes it easy for the males and females to get together. When outstretched, the claws can span up to 60 cm.Habitat: It lives in and around rocks and rubble in shallow waters. The eggs are carried in the apron-shaped abdomen, which looks much like a sponge attached to her belly. They are most often seen at night, when they emerge to feed. Channel clinging crabMithrax spinosissimus(Lamarck, 1818)Description: The largest spider crab in the region. All three types of Box Crabs inhabit sandy bottoms with the latter two also liking to live in areas of mixed sand and rubble. The males are actually quite courtly and have an elaborate ritual of claw waving and rapping to attract the females to their burrows (their way of saying “Hey Babe, wanna come to my place?”). Like the Fiddlers, they can exist on land as long as they keep their gills wet, so the subterranean shelter includes a small dipping pool. . How do we know some of these sordid details? New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida. Although terrestrial, the land crabs are nevertheless coastal in distribution, for the females must return to the sea to release their spawn. Here in the TCI, they are commonly seen along the ironshore, where the surf pounds the rocky ledges. It is the largest species of Caribbean reef crab. Whatever dastardly deed the Box Crabs’ ancestors committed, we may never know, but now the poor souls are forever covering their faces in shame. Well that’s life for a crab, as well as for any other crustacean out there. http://www.marylanddelivered.com/seasonings.htm, (You must log in or sign up to reply here.). (2015). These crabs come readily equipped with paddles on their last pair of legs enabling them to swim for their lives if need be. Porcelain crabs do look somewhat fragile with their flattened carapaces and bodies, but make up for this with enlarged claws which appear about half the size of their entire bodies. Where it overlaps contains the sex organs of the crabs. In my estimation, they take the female domesticate role a bit too far, with their aprons and red painted pinchers, but whatever it takes to keep the world in blue crabs. To cover this seemingly embarrassing predicament, they cloak themselves with a shell, but even it, of course, is a hand-me-down from some poor deceased snail. Also known as the Urchin Crab, this clever creature often hides beneath the protective spines of the Long-spined Urchins. The Sargassum Swimming Crab is colored to blend in with the floating rafts of sargassum where it lives. The Ocellated Box Crab has a network of dark brown to reddish brown to lavender lines on its carapace. Try being a Porcelain Crab, with a tiny body that for most, is less than an inch long. Feelin’ crabby — like your head is bunched between your shoulders and you want to pinch somebody else’s head off? Rarely seen during the day, they race up and down the beaches at night in a sideways fashion, constantly changing directions as they go. The legs are covered with numerous short spines and nodules. Because of its size, the Channel Clinging Crab is often a food source throughout the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the farm closed before realizing its full commercial potential, but it did manage to leave a legacy of the Caribbean King Crab. The male will continue to cuddle and protect her until her shell hardens again. Similar to the Caribbean Spiny Lobster, it is often seen hiding in crevices in the reef during the day and is more active at night. Picture yourself in one of their seemingly ridiculous predicaments, and see if that can’t put a smile on your face. A lot of fuss for a 1/2 to 3/4-inch long crab. Enough about blue crab gigolos, what happens to the poor women? The author also wishes to thank the readers for putting up with her cranky attitude — she’s just been feeling a little crabby lately . IT’S A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD For more of Marta’s images, turn the pages of this issue and visit www.harbourclubvillas.com. Often found in caves or beneath reef overhangs. Or having to prostitute yourself on some corner coral reef, in hopes of gleaning a few parasites from a passing fish. For this reason, it is important to leave the weed lines along the beaches intact, if we hope to keep our Ghost Crabs around. [3], M. spinosissumus is common throughout the Caribbean, Florida and Bahamas; it can reach a length of up to 7 inches and has been found as deep as 130 feet. Not only do they deal with their seemingly dire set of circumstances, but they have flourished in their underwater realms. (Their predicament adds a whole new meaning to “shop ’til you drop.”). by B. N. Sullivan When you see a scene like the one in the photo above, what do you think? Since 2000, ScubaBoard has been the place to go for internet based discussions related to all things Scuba. Who are their enemies? All are of the Genus Mithrax. The giant edible brown crab was brought up … Sizes range from the Giant Hermit Crab (5 to 8 inches), often seen living in adult conch shells, to the tiny Red-reef, Orangeclaw, Red-striped or Polkadotted Hermits (1/2 to 1 inch) that are found in any appropriately sized shell. Much of the information comes from fishermen. All of the Box Crabs have a “pinched in” area located on the top of their carapace, but their most distinguishing feature is that the crab appears to be hiding its face with its claws. A few other types of swimming crabs found in this region include the Ocellated Swimming Crab that is easily distinguished by the two red-ocellated eyespots on its carapace. And what if, in your dream, you went to heaven and there plucked a strange and beautiful flower? [5], "Systema Brachyurorum: Part I. The nearly circular carapace, legs and claws all bear spines and tubercles, those on the claws form a single row along the upper edge of the hand.
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