Abstract
The family Cryptochiridae includes a small group of cryptic crabs that inhabit cavities in scleractinian corals. They are represented in Brazil by two species. Troglocarcinus corallicola, found from Maranhão to Bahia states and that occurs in many species of the coral families Mussidae, Faviidae, Caryophillidae and Siderastreidae. Opecarcinus hypostegus, reported from the state of Pernambuco, is mainly associated with Agaricia fragilis. The range of O. hypostegus is extended to Rio Grande do Norte and Alagoas states. Males are usually smaller than females, and couples may be eventually found sharing cavities. Ovigerous females and males of O. hypostegus are recorded for the first time inhabiting adjoining cavities on colonies of Siderastrea stellata, an endemic reef coral widespread along the Brazilian littoral.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. Abelson B. S. Galil Y. Loya (1991) ArticleTitleSkeletal modification in stony corals caused by indwelling crabs: hydrodynamical advantages for crab feeding Symbiosis 10 233–248
J. P. Carricart-Ganivet L. F. Carrera-Parra L. I. Quan-Young M. S. Garcia-Madrigal (2004) ArticleTitleEcological note on Troglocarcinus corallicola (Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) living in symbiosis with Mancina areaolata (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) in the Mexican Caribbean Coral Reefs 23 215–217 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00338-004-0381-2
P. Castro (1976) ArticleTitleBrachyuran crabs symbiotic with scleractinian corals: a review of their biology Micronesica 121 IssueID1 95–110
P. A. Coelho (1966) ArticleTitleAlguns decápodos novos para Pernambuco e estados vizinhos na Coleção Carcinológica do Instituto Oceanográfico da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco – Segunda lista Ciência e Cultura 18 139–140
C. H. Edmondson (1933) ArticleTitleCryptochyrus of the Central Pacific Bernice Bishop Museum 10 IssueID5 1–23
A. Fize R. Serène (1957) ArticleTitleLes hapalocarcinidés du Viet-Nam Memoirs du Institute Océanographique de Nhatrang 10 1–202
J. R. Henderson (1906) ArticleTitleOn a new species of coral-infesting crab taken by R.I.M.S. “Investigastor” at the Andaman Islands Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Ser. 7 18 2111–219
J. W. Knudsen (1967) ArticleTitleTrapezia and Tetralia (Decapoda, Brachyura, Xanthidae) as obligate ectoparasites of pociloporid and acroporid corals Pacific Science 21 51–57
R. K. Kropp (1986) ArticleTitleFeeding biology and mouthpart morphology of three species of corals gall crabs (Decapoda: Cryptochiridae) Journal of Crustacean Biology 6 377–384
R. K. Kropp (1989) ArticleTitleA revision of the Pacific species of gall crabs, genus Opecarcinus (Crustacea: Cryptochiridae) Bulletin of Marine Science 45 98–129
R. K. Kropp R. B. Manning (1987) ArticleTitleThe Atlantic gall crabs family Cryptochiridae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 462 1–21
R. K. Kropp R. B. Manning (1995) Crustacea Decapoda: two new genera and species of deep water gall crabs from the Indo-west Pacific (Cryptochiridae) A. Crosnier (Eds) XV. Résultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM Mémoires du Muséum National d’ Histoire Naturelle 168 Paris 531–539
J. C. McCain S. L. Coles (1979) ArticleTitleA new species of crab (Brachyura, Hapalocarcinidae) inhabiting pocillopporid corals in Hawaii Crustaceana 36 IssueID1 81–89
G. A. S. Melo (1996) Manual de Identificação dos Brachyura (Caranguejos e Siris) do Litoral Brasileiro Editora Plêiade São Paulo
F. A. Potts (1915) ArticleTitleHapalocarcinus, the gall forming crab, with some notes on the related Cryptochirus Papers of the Department of Marine Biology Carnegie Institute Washington 8 33–69
E. M. Preston (1973) ArticleTitleA computer simulation of competition among five sympatric congeneric species of xanthid crabs Ecology 54 469–483
J. K. Reed R. H. Gore L. E. Scotto K. A. Wilson (1982) ArticleTitleCommunity composition, structure, areal and trophic relationships of decapods associated with shallow- and deep-water Oculina varicosa reef corals Bulletin of Marine Science 32 761–786
P. J. B. Scott (1985) ArticleTitleAspects of living coral associates in Jamaica 5th International Coral Reef Symposium 1 345–350
N. Simon-Blecher A. Chemedanov N. Eden Y. Achituv (1999) ArticleTitlePit structure and trophic relationship of the coral pit crab Cryptochirus coralliodytes Marine Biology 134 711–717 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s002270050587
G. F. Warner (1977) The Biology of Crabs Van Nostrand Reinhold Co New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Johnsson, R., Neves, E., Franco, G.M.O. et al. The Association of Two Gall Crabs (Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) with the Reef-building Coral Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868. Hydrobiologia 559, 379–384 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-9307-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-9307-4