Trapezia tigrina

Trapezia tigrina
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Trapeziidae
Genus: Trapezia
Species:
T. tigrina
Binomial name
Trapezia tigrina
Synonyms[1]
  • Trapezia danae Ward, 1939
  • Trapezia danai Ward, 1939
  • Trapezia punctata Coulon, 1864
  • Trapezia wardi Serène, 1971

Trapezia tigrina is a species of guard crab in the family Trapeziidae.[2] The species was described in 1842 by Joseph Fortuné Théodore Eydoux and Louis François Auguste Souleyet.[1] A common name for the species is red-spotted guard crab.[3] It is known for its symbiotic relationship with corals, and can be distinguished by its vibrant red spots and flattened body.[4]

Description

The red-spotted guard crab's exoskeleton can range between cream and pink and can be spotted with up to 150 red spots.[5] It has 6 small teeth between its eyes, and the lower half of its pincers is smooth.[6] The red-spotted guard crab can grow between 1.5 and 2.5 cm (0.6 and 1.0 in)[7] and has a carapace width of up to 1.5 cm (0.6 in).[5] Reproduction is sexual, but sperm transfer is indirect.[6] It usually lives in solitude or in small groups, and mating often involves courtship rituals.[6]

Distribution and habitat

This coral-associated crab is native to the Indo-Pacific, including Hawai'i,[4] East Africa, the Red Sea, Japan,[6] Indonesia,[5] and the Philippines.[1] It inhabits shallow coral reefs between branching corals, where it develops a mutualistic relationship by defending the coral from predators in exchange for shelter.[5] Trapezia tigrina can be found at a depth between 1 and 90 m (3.3 and 295.3 ft).[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Trapezia tigrina Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  2. ^ WoRMS. "Trapezia tigrina Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Red-spotted Guard Crab". United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
  4. ^ a b Galil, B.; Lewinsohn, Ch (1984-01-01). "On the Taxonomic Status of Trapezia tigrina Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842 (Decapoda, Brachyura)". Crustaceana. 46 (2): 166–175. doi:10.1163/156854084X00676. ISSN 1568-5403.
  5. ^ a b c d "Red Spotted Guard Crab (Trapezia tigrina) - JungleDragon". www.jungledragon.com. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Trapezia tigrina (Red-spotted guard crab)". Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  7. ^ "Trapezia tigrina Crabe corallien". fr.reeflex.net. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
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