Helograpsus

Haswell's shore crab
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Decapoda
Infraorder:
Brachyura
Family:
Varunidae
Genus:
Helograpsus
Species:
H. haswellianus
Binomial name
Helograpsus haswellianus
(Whitelegge, 1889)
Helograpsus haswellianus

Helopgrapsus haswellianus or Haswell’s shore crab, is the sole species of crab in the genus Helograpsus. It lives in river mouths and bays on the eastern coast of Australia (South Australia to Queensland, and Tasmania).[1] The carapace is strongly convex with one distinct notch behind the eye. Adult males have larger claws than adult females. The carapace is olive, dark slate grey or reddish. Claws of adult males are orange-yellow.[2] Carapace size is up to 30 mm wide. The orange color is stronger when these crabs live in habitat with lower pollution levels.[3]

Helograpsus haswellianus lives in tidal saltmarshes, and can be active at night.[4] It constructs burrows 30–40 cm deep above the high tide level, living at the highest shore levels of marine crabs. The burrows can be in dirty sand or mud. It can also be found under rocks. Crabs range up to 20 m from their burrows. Their burrows increase the surface area of shore sediments exposed to saltwater and help maintain the condition of tidal marshes.[5]

Chasmagnathus convexus and Chasmagnathus haswellianus are synonyms of Helograpsus haswellianus.[6]

  1. ^ Australia, Atlas of Living. "Species: Helograpsus haswellianus (Haswell's Shore Crab)". bie.ala.org.au. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  2. ^ Campbell, B. M.; Griffin, D.J.G. (1966-02-28). "The Australian Sesarminae (Crustacea: Brachyura): Genera Helice, Helograpsus Nov., Cyclograpsus and Paragrapsus" (PDF). Reprint from Volume 14, Part 5, Memoirs of the Oueensland Museum.
  3. ^ "Helograpsus haswellianus (Whitelegge, 1889)". Museum of Victoria. 2022. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  4. ^ "Haswell's shore crab: A treasure of the salt marsh". Redcliffe Environmental Forum. 2019. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  5. ^ "Intertidal invertebrates". OzCoasts Australian Online Coastal Information. CSIRO. 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-08.
  6. ^ "Australian Faunal Directory". Australian Biological Resources Study. 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-03.