Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Infraorder: Anomura
Family: Lithodidae
Genus: Paralithodes Species
: P. camtschaticus
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Infraorder: Anomura
Family: Lithodidae
Genus: Paralithodes Species
: P. camtschaticus
Common Name
Red King Crab
Morphology
Red king crab range in color from brownish to bluish red and are covered in sharp spines.
They have three pairs of walking legs and one pair of claws.
Their claws are different shapes; one is a large, heavy-duty claw that is used for crushing prey and the other is smaller and used for more delicate handling of food items.
The sex can be easily determined by the shape of the abdominal flap: males have a triangular flap and females a rounded flap.
They have three pairs of walking legs and one pair of claws.
Their claws are different shapes; one is a large, heavy-duty claw that is used for crushing prey and the other is smaller and used for more delicate handling of food items.
The sex can be easily determined by the shape of the abdominal flap: males have a triangular flap and females a rounded flap.
Biolgy
Female red king crabs reproduce once a year.
They carry between 50,000 and 500,000 eggs (depending on size) under their abdominal flap for about 11 months.
They hatch their larvae, which look like tiny shrimp, in the spring.
The largest red king crab ever caught weighed 24 pounds, had a leg span of 5 feet, and was probably 20 to 30 years old.
They carry between 50,000 and 500,000 eggs (depending on size) under their abdominal flap for about 11 months.
They hatch their larvae, which look like tiny shrimp, in the spring.
The largest red king crab ever caught weighed 24 pounds, had a leg span of 5 feet, and was probably 20 to 30 years old.
Distribution Map
Importace:Ecological and Economical
The Christmas Island red crab, Gecarcoidea natalis, is a species of land crab that is endemic to Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean
Although restricted to a relatively small area, it has been estimated that 43.7 million adult red crabs lived on Christmas Island alone, but the accidental introduction of the yellow crazy ant is believed to have killed about 10–15 million of these in recent years, Christmas Island red crabs are well known for their annual mass migration to the sea to lay their eggs in the oce
Although restricted to a relatively small area, it has been estimated that 43.7 million adult red crabs lived on Christmas Island alone, but the accidental introduction of the yellow crazy ant is believed to have killed about 10–15 million of these in recent years, Christmas Island red crabs are well known for their annual mass migration to the sea to lay their eggs in the oce
Iteresting Facts
Red crabs are land crabs which are specially adapted to living on land.
Like all land crabs, red crabs use gills to breathe and must take great care to conserve body moisture.
Although red crabs are diurnal, they usually avoid direct sunlight so as not to dry out.
Despite lower temperatures and higher humidity, red crabs are almost completely inactive at night.
Red crabs also dig burrows to shelter themselves from the sun and will usually stay in the same burrow throught the year.
During the dry season, they will cover the entrance to their burrows with a loose wad of leaves to maintain high humidity in their burrow and
will virtually disappear for 3 months until the start of the wet season.
Apart from their breeding season, Red crabs are solitary animals and will defend their burrow from intruders
The megalopae gather near the shore for 1–2 days before changing into young crabs only 5 mm (0.20 in) across.
The young crabs then leave the water to make a 9-day journey to the centre of the island.
For the first three years of their lives, the young crabs will remain hidden in rock outcrops, fallen tree branches and debris on the forest floor. Red crabs grow slowly, reaching sexual maturity at around 4–5 years, at which point they begin participating in the annual migration.
During their early growth phases, red crabs will moult several times.
Mature red crabs will moult one a year, usually in the safety of their burrow.
Like all land crabs, red crabs use gills to breathe and must take great care to conserve body moisture.
Although red crabs are diurnal, they usually avoid direct sunlight so as not to dry out.
Despite lower temperatures and higher humidity, red crabs are almost completely inactive at night.
Red crabs also dig burrows to shelter themselves from the sun and will usually stay in the same burrow throught the year.
During the dry season, they will cover the entrance to their burrows with a loose wad of leaves to maintain high humidity in their burrow and
will virtually disappear for 3 months until the start of the wet season.
Apart from their breeding season, Red crabs are solitary animals and will defend their burrow from intruders
The megalopae gather near the shore for 1–2 days before changing into young crabs only 5 mm (0.20 in) across.
The young crabs then leave the water to make a 9-day journey to the centre of the island.
For the first three years of their lives, the young crabs will remain hidden in rock outcrops, fallen tree branches and debris on the forest floor. Red crabs grow slowly, reaching sexual maturity at around 4–5 years, at which point they begin participating in the annual migration.
During their early growth phases, red crabs will moult several times.
Mature red crabs will moult one a year, usually in the safety of their burrow.
Vocabulary
EXSKELETON: A SKELETON THAT FORMS THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF AN ANIMAL, AS IN ARTHROPOND
CIRRI: THE PLATES ON THE UPPURS SURFACE OPEN TO ALLOW FEATHERY FILTERING APPENDAGE (CIRRI), WHICH ARE ACTUALLY THE LEGS, TO SWEEP THE WATER.
NAUPILIUS: BUT THE TYPE AND NUMBER OF LARVAL STOGES VERY WIDELY FROM GROUP TO GROUP.
CEPHALOTHORAX: THE ANTERIOR PORTION OF THE BODY OF MANY ARTHROPODS,WHICH CONSISTS OF THE HEAD FUSED WITH OTHER BODY SEEGMENTS.
MOLT: THE EXOSKELETON THAT IS SHED DURING THE MOLTING PROCESS.
CIRRI: THE PLATES ON THE UPPURS SURFACE OPEN TO ALLOW FEATHERY FILTERING APPENDAGE (CIRRI), WHICH ARE ACTUALLY THE LEGS, TO SWEEP THE WATER.
NAUPILIUS: BUT THE TYPE AND NUMBER OF LARVAL STOGES VERY WIDELY FROM GROUP TO GROUP.
CEPHALOTHORAX: THE ANTERIOR PORTION OF THE BODY OF MANY ARTHROPODS,WHICH CONSISTS OF THE HEAD FUSED WITH OTHER BODY SEEGMENTS.
MOLT: THE EXOSKELETON THAT IS SHED DURING THE MOLTING PROCESS.