Biology:Thalassina anomala

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of crustacean

Thalassina anomala
Thalassina anomala.JPG
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Family: Thalassinidae
Genus: Thalassina
Species:
T. anomala
Binomial name
Thalassina anomala
(Herbst, 1804)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Cancer anomalus Herbst, 1804
  • Thalassina chilensis Steenstrup & Lutken, 1862
  • Thalassina maxima Hess, 1865
  • Thalassina scabra Leach, 1814
  • Thalassina scorpionides Latreille, 1806

Thalassina anomala, known as the scorpion mud lobster, is a species of crustacean in the family Thalassinidae.

Description

Thalassina anomala are typically 16–20 centimetres (6.3–7.9 in) in length, with records of specimens up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long.[3] Its body is yellow to reddish-brown.

Distribution

T. anomala is found in the Indo-West Pacific region.[3] It is the most common decapod crustacean in the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh, though it is often overlooked in traditional sampling efforts.[4]

Ecology and behavior

Its habitat includes littoral and supralittoral zones such as those in mangroves and estuaries.[3] Excavated mud from their nighttime burrowing activities can form hills that reach heights of 3 metres (9.8 ft).[5] The burrows are estimated at 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) in depth. In the monsoon season, its muddy nest becomes saturated with water and submerges, and the lobster is exposed, allowing it to be easily caught.[6]

T. anomala is considered of high importance ecologically, as its nightly burrowing pushes deep soil to the surface, while also helping the import of aerated tidal water up to 2.5 meters deep.[7] The mud mounds provide habitat for other animals including Odontomachus malignus (an ant), termites, Episesarma singaporense (tree-climbing crab), Wolffogebia phuketensis (mangrove mud shrimp), Acrochordus granulatus (file snake), and plants such as the tree Excoecaria agallochoa and ferns.[5]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q6496220 entry