CLINGING/ SPIDER CRABS
MITHRACIDAE
Red Ridged Clinging Crab
Mithraculus forceps
Size
Carapace up to 2.5cm. 

Description
:
Carapace usually reddish/ yellowish and
highly nodose (large bumps) and not hairy. Walking legs hairy, claw arms without hairs. Four acute antero-lateral spines or teeth behind orbit. Ridges between carapace sulci little subdivided. Wrist smooth above and with one inner tooth. Spatualate chelicerae (pincers) - pale at tips.

Ecology
On rocky shores and reefs in crevices and under stones and dead corals. Also between tides and in shallow water at depths from 0-90m (0-300ft).

Life cycle
From a species study in Venezuela: Male and female crabs attained earlist sexual maturity at a size of 7 and 11 mm carapace length )although for 50% of the population was 19 and 16 mm).They can reproduce continuously during the year. Fecundity estimates of ovigerous females ranged from 34 to 4777 eggs (average (mean) 1024 .  Fecundity was  positively related to carapace length, width and total weight.


    Ecological Descriptors
Habitat Size (cm) Diet Behaviour Sex 
R, Co 2.5 Veg? I F
Synonyms:
Yellow Coral Crab
Formerly :
Mithrax forceps
Red Ridged Clinging Crab
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