Biology:Polybius pusillus

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Short description: Species of crab

Polybius pusillus
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Polybiidae
Genus: Polybius
Species:
P. pusillus
Binomial name
Polybius pusillus
(Leach, 1815)
Synonyms[1]
  • Portunus pusillus (Leach, 1816) (Leach, 1816)
  • Macropipus parvulus (Parisi, 1916) Liocarcinus pusillus
  • Macropipus pusillus (Leach, 1816) Portunus parvulus (Parisi, 1916)

Polybius pusillus, common name dwarf swimming crab,[2] is a species of crab in the Portunidae family.[3][1]

Description

Polybius pusillus is a small, colourful species with a broad, suboval carapace having a maximum width of 25 mm (1.0 in). However, most specimens are usually less than 20 mm (0.8 in).[3][4] This species occurs in a wide range of colours.[3] The front has three sharpened tusks, directed forward.[2]

Distribution

Polybius pusillus occurs from North-West Africa, to Lofoten, Norway[3][4] including the North Sea.[2] It is found around the shores of: England, in such places as Northumberland, Yorkshire, The Wash, Thames, the eastern English Channel, Isle of Wight, Portland, Plymouth, the Scilly Isles, the Bristol Channel, Liverpool Bay; Scotland - Shetland, Orkney, Firth of Forth, Argyll and Clyde, The Minch; Ireland, occurring in and around Dublin, Belfast, County Mayo, Galway Bay, Fastnet Rock, County Cork; and elsewhere in the British Isles including the Channel Islands, Anglesey and the Isle of Man.[5]

Habitat

Specimens range intertidally up to 100 metres,[4] dwelling on sandy to stony bottoms,[3][5] but prefer gravel or stony substrates.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 De Grave, Sammy (6 May 2024). "Polybius pusillus (Leach, 1816)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=151200. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Marine Species: Liocarcinus pusillus". Skaphandrus.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20110716081115/http://www.skaphandrus.com/marine_species/species/Liocarcinus_pusillus. Retrieved 2010-08-05. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Liocarcinus pusillus". Seawater.no. March 20, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090718225851/http://www.seawater.no/fauna/Leddyr/pusillus.htm. Retrieved August 5, 2010. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Liten svømmekrabbe - Liocarcinus pusillus" (in Norwegian). Marinbi.com. http://www.marinbi.com/arthropoda/l-pusill.htm. Retrieved August 5, 2010. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Mario de Kluiver; Sarita Ingualso. "Liocarcinus pusillus". Macrobenthos of the North Sea - Crustacea. Marine Species Identification Portal. http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=crustacea&id=226. Retrieved August 5, 2010. 

Wikidata ☰ Q3022018 entry