Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Grapsus tenuicrustatus

Mīkia (MG)

Weak-shelled Shore-Crab

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Weak-shelled Shore-Crab, Weak-shelled Rock-Crab

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Mīkia / Mēkia (MG), Paikea (MK MT), ‘Ake‘akeā / Karai‘i ‘Ake‘akeā (AK), Pakapaka (TS TW), Kalami Nēneva (PK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Cooks - Tuamotu - Hawai‘i

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, intertidal - splash zone, under/on rocks

KEY FEATURES: Carapace 72x75mm. Large, vividly coloured black, red and yellow. Front less than half maximum carapace width; lateral margins distinctly bowed outward. Carapace marked by transverse and oblique ridges; with strong oblique ridges posterolaterally (over brachial region) with surface between rough. Male chelipeds stout, with strong teeth, tips spooned and white.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Grapsus strigosus is similar but smaller (35mm wide); has less marked ridges on carapace; and the area between the oblique posterolateral ridges is smooth - rather than rough.

Enlarged Image of 'Grapsus tenuicrustatus'

Cook Islands Distribution

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Southern Group: Present    Makatea: Present
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
+++
P
^P
++?

Northern Group: Present
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW
P
P
P

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Grapsus tenuicrustatus (Herbst, 1783)
SYNONYMS: Grapsus grapsus tenuicrustatus; Grapsus maculatus tenuicrustatus

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; CRUSTACEA; MALACOSTRACA; EUMALACOSTRACA; Eucarida; Decapoda; Reptantia; Brachyura; Brachygnatha; Brachyrhyncha; GRAPSIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: (C/025, 1980s); Mauke: field-specimen, College collection, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Manihiki: Bullivant74; Pukapuka: fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Grapsus tenuicrustatus.

References:
Special Reference: Forest & Guinot 1961 [Fr.]; Edmondson 1959;

Data Update History (information):
zTXmx, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
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