Ar.66 Dromia personata (Sponge crab)

 

Ar.66                                           Dromia personata (Sponge crab)

 

Kingdom    :    Animalia

Phylum      :     Arthropoda

Subphylum:     Crustacea

Class         :     Malacostraca

Order        :      Decapoda

Infraorder :      Brachyura

Family      :      Dromiidae

Genus       :      Dromia

 

Description: Dromia personata is a species of crab found in the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and connecting parts of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. It mainly resides from the lower shore to a depth of 50 meters (164 ft), often in caves. Occasionally, they are found living in depths as low as 110 meters (360 ft). The two organisms have a symbiotic relationship where the crab is able to camouflage while providing the sponge with physical protection from predators, such as fish, turtles, and sea slugs. The crab prefers Halichondria panicea, Celtodoryx ciocalyptoides, and sponges of the Suberites  genus. Upon obtaining a sponge, either when molding its first sponge or obtaining a new one following a period of molting, the fourth and fifth pairs of pereiopods tear the sponge from its edges until it is a spherical size and shape. These same legs support the sponge on the crab's back. As it grows, the sponge conforms to mimic the cephalothorax shape.