Parasesarma erythrodactyla
Encyclopedia
Parasesarma erythrodactyla, also known as the red-handed shore crab, is a burrowing crab
inhabiting mangrove forests in Australia
and Southeast Asia
. It is immediately identifiable by its bright red chelipeds (claws) and green/brown carapace.
Distribution of P. erythrodactyla occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical regions along eastern Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea and India, also may occur along Southern Australia (to be verified).
P. erythrodactyla relies on mangrove leaf detritus for about 80% of its nutrition, and on benthic microalgae such as diatoms for between 20% and 35% of its nutrition.
Sesarmid crabs are generally considered to be a monophyletic taxon (that is, all genetically deriving from a common ancestor) of Grapsoidea
, but recent reclassifications of the genera Sesarma and Parasesarma (both considered ployphyletic) have resulted in a reshuffling of the species.
A type specimen exists in the Melbourne Museum
Discovery Centre (object drawer 15).
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
inhabiting mangrove forests in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. It is immediately identifiable by its bright red chelipeds (claws) and green/brown carapace.
Distribution of P. erythrodactyla occurs mainly in tropical and subtropical regions along eastern Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea and India, also may occur along Southern Australia (to be verified).
P. erythrodactyla relies on mangrove leaf detritus for about 80% of its nutrition, and on benthic microalgae such as diatoms for between 20% and 35% of its nutrition.
Sesarmid crabs are generally considered to be a monophyletic taxon (that is, all genetically deriving from a common ancestor) of Grapsoidea
Grapsoidea
Grapsoidea is a superfamily of crabs. These crabs are well known and contain many taxa which are terrestrial , semi-terrestrial or limnic...
, but recent reclassifications of the genera Sesarma and Parasesarma (both considered ployphyletic) have resulted in a reshuffling of the species.
A type specimen exists in the Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, adjacent the Royal Exhibition Building.It is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a venue of Museum Victoria, which also operates the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks Museum.The museum has seven main...
Discovery Centre (object drawer 15).