Liocarcinus pusillus

Liocarcinus pusillus, common name dwarf swimming crab,[3] is a species of crab in the Portunidae family.[4]

Liocarcinus pusillus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Decapoda
Infraorder:
Brachyura
Family:
Portunidae
Genus:
Liocarcinus
Species:
L. pusillus
Binomial name
Liocarcinus pusillus
(Leach, 1815)
Synonyms [1]
  • Macropipus pusillus (Leach, 1815)
  • Polybius pusillus (Leach, 1815)[2]
  • Portunus parvulus Parisi, 1915
  • Portunus pusillus Leach, 1815

Description

Liocarcinus pusillus is a small, colourful species with a broad, suboval carapace having a maximum width of 25 mm (1.0 in). However, most specimens are usually less than 20 mm (0.8 in).[4][5] This species occurs in a wide range of colours.[4] The front has three sharpened tusks, directed forward.[3]

Distribution

Liocarcinus pusillus occurs from North-West Africa, to Lofoten, Norway[4][5] including the North Sea.[3] It is found around the shores of: England, in such places as Northumberland, Yorkshire, The Wash, Thames, the eastern English Channel, Isle of Wight, Portland, Plymouth, the Scilly Isles, the Bristol Channel, Liverpool Bay; Scotland - Shetland, Orkney, Firth of Forth, Argyll and Clyde, The Minch; Ireland, occurring in and around Dublin, Belfast, Mayo, Galway Bay, Fastnet Rock, Cork; and elsewhere in the British Isles including the Channel Islands, Anglesey and the Isle of Man.[6]

Habitat

Specimens range intertidally up to 100 metres,[5] dwelling on sandy to stony bottoms,[4][6] but prefer gravel or stony substrates.

References
  1. Peter K. L. Ng; Danièle Guinot & Peter J. F. Davie (2008). "Systema Brachyurorum: Part I. An annotated checklist of extant Brachyuran crabs of the world" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 17: 1–286. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-06.
  2. P. Davie; C. Fransen & M. Türkay (2010). "Liocarcinus pusillus (Leach, 1816)". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  3. "Marine Species: Liocarcinus pusillus". Skaphandrus.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  4. "Liocarcinus pusillus". Seawater.no. March 20, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  5. "Liten svømmekrabbe - Liocarcinus pusillus" (in Norwegian). Marinbi.com. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  6. Mario de Kluiver & Sarita Ingualso. "Liocarcinus pusillus". Macrobenthos of the North Sea - Crustacea. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
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