Charybdis erythrodactyla
| Charybdis erythrodactyla | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Portunidae |
| Genus: | Charybdis |
| Species: | C. erythrodactyla |
| Binomial name | |
| Charybdis erythrodactyla Lamarck, 1818 | |
Charybdis erythrodactyla, also called the rainbow swimming crab, is a species of swimming crab in the family Portunidae.[1] It lives in warm ocean waters as the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, parts of the south pacific.[2] They are occasionally found in the Honolulu fish market.[3]
Description
Charybdis erythrodactyla has a wide, flattened shell that helps it swim. It has bright blue markings on a yellow orange body.[2] The carapace is slightly covered with fine hair and has six small teeth along the front edge.[4] The sides of the shell also contain six teeth.[4] These large individuals can grow to more than 7 inches (about 18 cm) across the carapace.[4] The transverse ridges on the shell are strong, but there is no ridge across the cardiac region.[4] The claws are more or less covered with fine hair, with small spines on the walking legs.[4]
Taxonomy
Charybdis erythrodactyla was first described by Lamarck in 1818.[5] It belongs to the order Decapoda within the family Portunidae.[5]
Habitat and distribution
Charybdis erythrodactyla is a marine species found in the Pacific Ocean waters.[3] It is typically found in shallow coastal areas, where it hides under rocks, ledges, or in reef environments during the day.[2]
Culture
The Rainbow crab Charybdis erythrodactyla has two Hawaiian names, Pāpaʻi, meaning crab, and Akoʻakoʻa, meaning coral.[6]
References
- ↑ "Charybdis erythrodactyla, Rainbow crab". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- 1 2 3 Hoover, John P. Hawaii's Sea Creatures: A Guide to Hawaiiʻs Marine Invertebrates.
- 1 2 Howard Edmondson, Charles. "Marine Zoology of Tropical Central Pacific".
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Key to Hawaiian species of Charybdis" (PDF).
- 1 2 "Charybdis (Goniosupradens) erythrodactylus (Lamarck, 1818)".
- ↑ Titcomb, Margaret. "Native Use of Marine Invertebrates in Old Hawaii". University of Hawaii Press.