Cyanagraea
Genus of crabs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cyanagraea praedator is a species of crab that lives on hydrothermal vents, and the only species in the genus Cyanagraea.[1][2]
| Cyanagraea | |
|---|---|
| |
| A consortium of crabs in an area of hydrothermal activity | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Bythograeidae |
| Genus: | Cyanagraea de Saint Laurent, 1984 |
| Species: | C. praedator |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyanagraea praedator de Saint Laurent, 1984 | |
It is found at depths of 2,535–2,630 m (8,317–8,629 ft) on the East Pacific Rise,[3] where it lives "in the upper part of black smoker chimneys".[4] Its haemocyanin has a strong affinity for oxygen, and displays a significant Bohr effect, which is unaffected by lactic acid.[5]
Cyanagraea praedator is "by far the largest" species in the family Bythograeidae, growing to a maximum carapace size of 123.0 mm × 74.8 mm (4.84 in × 2.94 in).[3]
The leech Bathybdella sawyeri has been observed attached to C. praedator.[6]
