Pebble Crab

Appearance

Width/length ratio about 1.37. Carapace convex. Dorsal surface of the carapace with prominent lobules and separated by deep smooth furrows. The whole surface of the dorsal face covered with not very numerous but very projecting tubercles, encircled with brown setae; some tufts of longer setae. Antero-lateral margins without marked teeth. Chelipeds and ambulatory legs furnished with coarse, projecting granules and with dense brown setae. The clearly defined subhepatic cavity traversed by two strong longitudinal crests, parallel to the antero-lateral margin.

Distribution

Suez Canal, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, East coast of Africa; Aldabra Islands, Madagascar, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia.

Habitat

Subtidal. Coral and rocky reefs.

Reproduction

Members of the order Decapoda are mostly gonochoric. Mating behavior: Precopulatory courtship ritual is common (through olfactory and tactile cues); usually indirect sperm transfer.