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Porcelain Crab


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  1. Porcelain Crab Porcelain Crab

    Information
    Type: Crab
    Color: Multi
    Reef Safe: yes
    Care Level: Moderate
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Lansing, Michigan
    Posts
    461
    Awards Photo of the Month Photo of the Month
     

    Additional Information & Description

    DSC 8309b - Porcelain Crab

    My porcelain crab came out today in a spot where I could easily take a picture. He is a nice looking blue and red crab with large claws. Despite the claws, he is a docile crab that feeds by waving extended combs (setae) in the current to catch plankton and other small bits of food. Here is a close-up of his combs:

    DSC 8304a - Porcelain Crab

    "The porcelain crab's common name is derived from its propensity to drop claws like a fragile tea cup breaking. When attacked, the would-be predator is usually left with nothing more than a few amputated (and still-twitching) limbs. In a few days the porcelain crab will undergo an 'emergency molt' of its exoskeleton and begin regenerating its lost appendages.

    The porcelain crab shown here, Petrolisthes galathinus, is a common resident of Floridian and Caribbean reefs, living under rubble and coral heads. Turning over loose rocks will often yield a fleeting glimpse of scurrying, purple legs. They can move incredibly fast and generally remain cryptic to the passing scuba diver. While many crab species are territorial and agressive towards members of their own species, these porcelain crabs can be colonial with several dozen porcelain crabs living together under the same rock.

    Despite the similar appearances, porcelain crabs are not 'true' crabs; they are in fact more closely related to the squat lobster clan (Galatheidae) than the archetypal brachyuran crabs we are all familiar with. Porcelain crabs' flattened bodies are adapted to their life under rocks and in crevices. One of the defining features of porcelain crabs are the comb-like appendages called 'setae' that sweep the water currents in order to collect edible particles that happen to float by. Another pair of specialized appendages scrape the the setae and bring the collected food to their mouthparts. This feeding strategy, with its alternating rhythm, appears robotic in its efficiency." (excerpt from http://coralmorphologic.com
    Last edited by BeakerBob; 04-05-2012 at 08:25 PM.
    BeakerBob - Past MMMC Club President, current Board Member
    imagephp?u1&amptypesigpic&ampdateline1261894023 - Porcelain Crab
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  2. #2
    jimsflies - Reefkeeper
    Admin/Founder

    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    11,467
    First Name
    Jim

    Default

    Wow!

  3. #3
    MizTanks - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    U.P. of Michigan.
    Posts
    8,444
    First Name
    Jamie
    Awards Photo of the Month - October 2012 Photo of the Month Post and Reply Award - Winner of the first PAR Contest. Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    Wonderful write up Bob!
    There's nothing like being a Reefer! www.upmmas.com

  4. #4
    Tropical Buff - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Pinckney MI
    Posts
    484
    First Name
    Bart
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    Awesome pic and interesting info as well

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