Parasesarma leptosoma | |
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Species: | P. leptosoma |
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Parasesarma leptosoma (Hilgendorf, 1869) | |
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Parasesarma leptosoma, also known as the arboreal crab, is an arboreal, leaf-eating mangrove crab, from East and South Africa where it is found on Rhizophora mucronata and Bruguiera gymnorhiza , but not on Avicennia marina . It occupies an ecological niche similar to that of another sesarmid, Aratus pisonii , from the Americas. [1]
Crabs of the family Sesarmidae are some of the most diverse and important components of mangrove estuary communities in the tropics and are not found in Europe. Two genera common in African, Asian and Australian mangroves are Parasesarma (26 species) and Perisesarma (23 species). Often colourful, they have a squarish appearance and have two transverse pectinated crests on the upper edge of the male chelar carpus. The two genera are separated by the absence in Parasesarma or presence in Perisesarma of an anterolateral tooth. [2]
Parasesarma leptosoma was formerly considered widespread in mangrove along the coast of the Indo-Pacific region. A taxonomic review found that this included several similar species and that the true P. leptosoma is restricted to coastal parts of South and East Africa, as far north as Tanzania. [3] In order to escape low tide predators, this species twice daily climbs mangrove stems to the canopy and feeds on fresh leaves, and is commonly found on Rhizophora mucronata, but studies suggest that it prefers the foliage of Bruguiera gymnorhiza. Its diet also includes algae, mollusks, insects and annelids. Its aversion to Avicennia marina may be due to its secreting salt from its leaves, while both R. mucronata and B. gymnorhiza are salt excluders. [4] Distinguishing characters are its propodus being three times the length of its dactylus, and the carapace width only some 2 cm. [5] Females carry the eggs, which remain attached to the swimming legs or pleopods until hatching.
Important physiological adaptations enable these crabs to feed on leaves, with no evidence of fermentation in the gut, a solution common in other animals. [6]
Mangrove crabs are crabs that live among mangroves, and may belong to many different species and even families. They have been shown to be ecologically significant in many ways. They keep much of the energy within the forest by burying and consuming leaf litter. Along with burrowing in the ground, at high tide and in the face of predators these crustaceans can climb trees to protect themselves. The hermit crab and the mangrove crab are the only crustaceans that can climb trees as a defense mechanism. Furthermore, their feces may form the basis of a coprophagous food chain contributing to mangrove secondary production.
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is an estuary situated near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the third largest stretch of mangrove forests in India with 24 mangrove tree species and more than 120 bird species. It is home to the critically endangered white-backed vulture and the long billed vulture. Mangroves are a group of trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone, with a dense tangle of prop roots that make the trees appear to be standing on stilts above the water. This tangle of roots allows the trees to handle the daily rise and fall of tides; hence, the mangrove forest gets flooded at least twice per day. The roots also slow the movement of tidal waters, causing sediments to settle out of the water and build up the muddy bottom.
The Grapsoidea are a superfamily of crabs; they are well known and contain many taxa which are terrestrial (land-living), semiterrestrial, or limnic. Another well-known member with a more conventional lifestyle is the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis.
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is an estuarine mangrove habitat, which is declared as the bird sanctuary, and located on western tip of the Island of Chorão along the Mandovi River, Goa, in India. The sanctuary is named after Salim Ali, the eminent Indian ornithologist.
Perisesarma is a genus of mangrove crabs in the family Sesarmidae predominantly found in the Indo-Pacific. Some 23 species are described as of late 2006, with two from West Africa: P. kammermani(De Man, 1883) and P. albertiRathbun, 1921. They are typically small, semiterrestrial crabs found on the forest floor at low tide. They eat nearly anything they can, and try to eat anything that does not threaten them — including pencils and other objects dropped on the forest floor. The last species of the genus described is P. samawatiGillikin and Schubart (2004). It can be found in East Africa along with P. guttatum, but its sister species is P. eumolpe from Malaysian mangroves
Potamonautidae is a family of freshwater crabs endemic to Africa, including the islands of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Mafia, Pemba, Bioko, São Tomé, Príncipe and Sherbro Island. It comprises 18 extant genera and 138 extant species. Fossil remains dating from the Late Miocene period have been attributed to the family Potamonautidae.
The Sesarmidae are a family of crabs, previously included in the Grapsidae by many authors. Several species, namely in Geosesarma, Metopaulias, and Sesarma, are true terrestrial crabs. They do not need to return to the sea even for breeding.
Sesarma is a genus of terrestrial crabs endemic to the Americas.
The New Guinea mangroves is a mangrove ecoregion that covers extensive areas of the coastline New Guinea, the large island in the western Pacific Ocean north of Australia.
Madagascar mangroves are a coastal ecoregion in the mangrove forest biome found on the west coast of Madagascar. They are included in the WWF's Global 200 list of most outstanding ecoregions.
The Southern Africa mangroves are mangrove ecoregion on the Mozambique's southernmost coast and the eastern coast of South Africa.
Karstarma is a genus of karst-dwelling crabs formerly included in Sesarmoides.
Ucides cordatus, the swamp ghost crab, is one of two species of crabs in the genus Ucides. This species of crab is native to many coasts off of the western Atlantic Ocean. It has been found to be native to areas as far as Florida, to as southern as Uruguay. U. cordatus is especially noteworthy in the country in Brazil as it plays important roles in the economy and food resources at Brazil’s Atlantic borders.
Rhizophora mucronata is a species of mangrove found on coasts and river banks in East Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.
The violet vinegar crab is a swimming crab species in the genus Episesarma. Distributed all over marine and brackish waters of Indo-West Pacific regions. It is harvested by many local fishermen for rich proteinaceous food.
The Red-claw mangrove crab is a crab species in the genus Parasesarma and the family Sesarmidae. It is distributed in coastal brackish water habitats of the western Indian Ocean.
The Micro Mangrove Crab is a species of micro-mangrove crab native to Hong Kong. It was first discovered by Stefano Cannicci from the University of Hong Kong and Peter Ng from the University of Singapore in the Ting Kok Mangrove forests in the northeast of Hong Kong and listed on the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) in April of 2017. It was the third species placed in the genus Haberma, which was discovered in 2002.
The Abatan River is a river in western Bohol, Philippines. The river winds through the towns of Catigbian, Antequera, Balilihan, and Maribojoc to its mouth at Cortes.
Armases cinereum, also known as the squareback marsh crab or wharf crab, is a member of the genus Armases and is a species of crab in the family Sesarmidae. The wharf crab is a small crab and is dark brown to muddy in color, which allows it to blend in well with its usual surroundings. It is found on the Atlantic southeastern coast, down into the Gulf of Mexico. It is an omnivore and is prevalent in marshy coastal environments along the Southwestern Atlantic.