Austruca annulipes

Austruca annulipes
male
female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Ocypodidae
Subfamily: Gelasiminae
Tribe: Gelasimni
Genus: Austruca
Species:
A. annulipes
Binomial name
Austruca annulipes
Synonyms[1]
  • Gelasimus annulipes H. Milne-Edwards, 1837
  • Uca annulipes (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837)

Austruca annulipes is a species of fiddler crab found along the coastline from South Africa to Somalia, Madagascar, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Austruca annulipes was formerly in the genus Uca, but in 2016 it became a member of the genus Leptuca, a former subgenus of Uca.[2][3][1]

They are relatively small crabs, and can be seen feeding in the evening at low tide. The males and females differ in size and appearance: the larger males are endowed with a brightly colored front claw. Compared to the females (and even the smaller male Uca annulipes crabs), the male Austruca annulipes crabs spend the most time excavating their burrows.[4] House crows are known to prey upon these crabs, which are quick to hide in their burrows at the slightest hint of danger.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference worms was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Shih2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Rosenberg2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ TINA, FAHMIDA W.; MULLICA JAROENSUTASINEE & KRISANADEJ JAROENSUTASINEE. "BURROW EXCAVATION AND MUDBALLING BEHAVIOUR OF THE FIDDLER CRAB UCA ANNULIPES (H. MILNE EDWARDS, 1837) FROM SOUTHERN THAILAND.". Fiddler Crabs (Genus Uca). Retrieved 18 October 2019.