Liocarcinus pusillus

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Liocarcinus pusillus
Liocarcinus pusillus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Polybiidae
Genus: Polybius
Species:
P. pusillus
Binomial name
Polybius pusillus
(Leach, 1815)
Synonyms [1]
  • Liocarcinus pusillus (Leach, 1816)
  • Macropipus parvulus (Parisi, 1916) Macropipus pusillus (Leach, 1816)
  • Portunus parvulus (Parisi, 1916) Portunus pusillus (Leach, 1816)

Polybius pusillus, common name dwarf swimming crab, [2] is a species of crab in the Portunidae family. [3] [1]

Contents

Description

Polybius pusillus is a small, colourful species with a broad, suboval carapace having a maximum width of 25 mm (1.0 in). However, most specimens are usually less than 20 mm (0.8 in). [3] [4] This species occurs in a wide range of colours. [3] The front has three sharpened tusks, directed forward. [2]

Distribution

Polybius pusillus occurs from North-West Africa, to Lofoten, Norway [3] [4] including the North Sea. [2] It is found around the shores of: England, in such places as Northumberland, Yorkshire, The Wash, Thames, the eastern English Channel, Isle of Wight, Portland, Plymouth, the Scilly Isles, the Bristol Channel, Liverpool Bay; Scotland - Shetland, Orkney, Firth of Forth, Argyll and Clyde, The Minch; Ireland, occurring in and around Dublin, Belfast, County Mayo, Galway Bay, Fastnet Rock, County Cork; and elsewhere in the British Isles including the Channel Islands, Anglesey and the Isle of Man. [5]

Habitat

Specimens range intertidally up to 100 metres, [4] dwelling on sandy to stony bottoms, [3] [5] but prefer gravel or stony substrates.

References

  1. 1 2 De Grave, Sammy (6 May 2024). "Polybius pusillus (Leach, 1816)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Marine Species: Liocarcinus pusillus". Skaphandrus.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Liocarcinus pusillus". Seawater.no. March 20, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 "Liten svømmekrabbe - Liocarcinus pusillus" (in Norwegian). Marinbi.com. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  5. 1 2 Mario de Kluiver & Sarita Ingualso. "Liocarcinus pusillus". Macrobenthos of the North Sea - Crustacea. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
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