Pachygrapsus minutus
| Pachygrapsus minutus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Grapsidae |
| Genus: | Pachygrapsus |
| Species: | P. minutus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachygrapsus minutus A. Milne-Edwards, 1873 | |
Pachygrapsus minutus is a species of small shore crabs in the family Grapsidae.[1]
Description
Pachygrapsus minutus has a broad chitinized exoskeleton, tucked tail-like abdomen and five pairs of legs, indicative of the infraorder Brachyura.[2] It can be confused with the similar sized Pachygrapsus planifrons but is distinguishable at a closer look. It has a smooth sub-triangular carapace of 5x8 mm with no teeth on its lateral margins.[3] Its outer legs are furnished with spines and bristles and its claws are smooth, without setae on the tip. Additionally, its front is sinuous and the posterior meru has a submedian tooth.[4]
Reproduction
Like other grapsids, Pachygrapsus minutus perform precopulatory courtship rituals through olfactory and tactile cues. They are also gonochoric and males mostly transfer their sperms indirectly.[5]
Distribution and habitat
Pachygrapsus minutus is widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific from the Red Sea to Mexican oceanic islands, and Hawaii.[6][7] It is commonly found under rocks and corals within intertidal or rocky shallow zones living among barnacles, preferably dead,[8] and oysters.[9] It can also be found within the crevices of sheer rock cliffs. However, due to its small size it is often unnoticed.[4]
Ecology
During low tides, Pachygrapsus minutus can be seen grazing algae film on rocks[4] but they also feast on organic waste, carrions, and other smaller invertebrates such as polychaetes, sponges, echinoderms, mollusks, and crustaceans [5].
References
- ↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Pachygrapsus minutus A. Milne-Edwards, 1873". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
- ↑ Chatterjee, Anushka (2025-10-31). "True Crab - Types, Anatomy, Habitat, Diet, Lifespan, & Life Cycle". AnimalFact.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ↑ "Cook Islands Biodiversity: Pachygrapsus Minutus". Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage. 2003. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 3 "Land, Mangrove and Freshwater Decapod Crustaceans of Mayotte Region (Crustacea Decapoda)". smithsonian.figshare.com. doi:10.5479/si.00775630.592. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- 1 2 "Pachygrapsus minutus". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ↑ Garth, John S. (November 1, 1992). "The Brachyuran Crabs of the Revillagigedo Islands, Colima, Mexico, with Remarks on Insular Endemism in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. In: P. Unitt (Ed.), Benthic Macro-Crustaceans of the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History, 24: 1-6. San Diego Society of Natural History" (PDF). decapoda.nhm.org. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Poupin, Joseph; Davie, Peter J. F.; Cexus, Jean Christophe (2005-07-05). "A revision of the genus Pachygrapsus Randall, 1840 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura, Grapsidae), with special reference to the Southwest Pacific species". Zootaxa. 1015 (1): 1–66. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1015.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
- ↑ Hartnoll, R. G. (November 1975). "The Grapsidae and Ocypodidae (Decapoda: Brachyura) of Tanzania". Journal of Zoology. 177 (3): 305–328. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1975.tb02235.x. ISSN 0952-8369.
- ↑ Simões, Nuno; Apel, Michael; Jones, David A. (2001-04-01). "Intertidal habitats and decapod faunal assemblages (Crustacea: Decapoda) of Socotra Island, Republic of Yemen". Hydrobiologia. 449 (1): 81–97. doi:10.1023/A:1017541019388. ISSN 1573-5117.