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Plagusia tuberculata

Pāpaka Tuapuku (MG)

Hump-backed Shore-Crab

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Hump-backed Shore-Crab, Tuberculate Rock-Crab

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Pāpaka Tuapuku (MG MT AK), Pāpaka Tuapuku < Pāpaka Tuauru (AT), Papaka Tuapuku / Tuapuku (MK)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Indian Ocean - Pacific Ocean

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Food

KEY FEATURES: Carapace to 70mm wide. The near cicular carapace is convex and thick; three sharp anterolateral teeth, surface covered by flat tubercules bordered in front by short stiff bristles. Walking legs without anterior spines.

Enlarged Image of 'Plagusia tuberculata'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Plagusia tuberculata
SYNONYMS: Plagusia depressa tuberculata

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

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: (C/124, 1980s); BPBM-Cat.3304;. Mangaia: specimen, College, 9/2000, ID GMcC. Atiu: field-specimen, College collection, 10/2000, ID GMcC. Mauke: field-specimen, College collection, 3/2001, ID GMcC.

References:
Special Reference: 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.
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