Ar.36 Dorippe frascone (urchin crab)

 

Ar.36                                       Dorippe frascone (urchin crab)

Kingdom    :    Animalia

Phylum      :     Arthropoda

Subphylum:     Crustacea

Class         :      Malacostraca

Order        :      Decapoda

Infraorder :      Brachyura

Family      :       Dorippidae

Genus       :      Dorippe

 

Description: Dorippe frascone, the urchin crab or carrier crab, is a small species of crab in the family Dorippidae that was first described scientifically by J.F.W. Herbst, in 1785. It is found in the Red Sea and parts of the western and eastern Indian Ocean. It often has a symbiotic relationship with a long-spined sea urchin and carries one around on its carapace. The urchin crab is a brownish-pink colour and grows to a length of about 5 cm (2 in). It has long-stalked eyes, a rounded carapace and long, slender legs. It uses only the first two pairs of legs for locomotion because the third and fourth pairs are used to grip a sea urchin which it carries around on its back. Urchins have long, hollow spines and may provide protection to the crab by reducing the risk of predation by fish while not being too heavy to carry.