Austruca annulipes
Species of crab
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austruca annulipes is a species of fiddler crab found along the coastline from South Africa to Somalia, Madagascar, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
| Austruca annulipes | |
|---|---|
| |
| male | |
 | |
| female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Ocypodidae |
| Subfamily: | Gelasiminae |
| Tribe: | Gelasimni |
| Genus: | Austruca |
| Species: | A. annulipes |
| Binomial name | |
| Austruca annulipes (H. Milne-Edwards, 1837) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Austruca annulipes was formerly in the genus Uca, but in 2016 it became a member of the genus Leptuca, a former subgenus of Uca.[2][3][1]
They are relatively small crabs, and can be seen feeding in the evening at low tide. The males and females differ in size and appearance: the larger males are endowed with a brightly colored front claw. Compared to the females (and even the smaller male Uca annulipes crabs), the male Austruca annulipes crabs spend the most time excavating their burrows.[4] House crows are known to prey upon these crabs, which are quick to hide in their burrows at the slightest hint of danger.
