Pachygrapsus minutus
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| Pachygrapsus minutus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Grapsidae |
| Genus: | Pachygrapsus |
| Species: | P. minutus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pachygrapsus minutus A. Milne-Edwards, 1873 | |
Pachygrapsus minutus is a species of small shore crabs in the family Grapsidae.[1]
Pachygrapsus minutus has a broad chitinized exoskeleton, tucked tail-like abdomen and five pairs of legs, indicative of the infraorder Brachyura.[2] It can be confused with the similar sized Pachygrapsus planifrons but is distinguishable at a closer look. It has a smooth sub-triangular carapace of 5x8 mm with no teeth on its lateral margins.[3] Its outer legs are furnished with spines and bristles and its claws are smooth, without setae on the tip. Additionally, its front is sinuous and the posterior meru has a submedian tooth.[4]
Reproduction
Like other grapsids, Pachygrapsus minutus perform precopulatory courtship rituals through olfactory and tactile cues. They are also gonochoric and males mostly transfer their sperms indirectly.[5]
