CRUSTACEANS
Crustaceans are one of the most
pervasive invertebrates found in marine environments; mangrove communities are
no exception. Their diversity and
abundance is due mainly to their high adaptability to varying conditions in
marine communities. In mangrove
communities, crustaceans can be found in all components of mangrove habitats;
from the prop root community to the arboreal community. Through their feeding on plant and organic
matter, mangrove crustaceans are able to expedite the microbial decay and
return nutrients back to the system much quicker. Four main groups of decapod crabs are commonly found in the
intertidal (exposed prop roots, mud flats, and arboreal communities) areas of
mangrove communities. These are Families Grapsidae, Ocypodidae, Gecarcinidae,
and Xanthidae.
Family Grapsidae:
includes shore or marsh crabs which are always found in shallow water or land
near water. These crabs have a
distinctive square or angular carapace, with eyes close to the corners. In
mangroves, species such as Aratus pisonii
(mangrove tree crab) are found on the branches of Rhizophora mangle where it finds shelter and feeds on leaves. Other grapsoid crabs, such as Pachygrapsus transversus (common shore
crab) live amongst mangrove prop roots.
Family Oycpodidae:
includes the fiddler crabs from the genus Uca. These include many similar species that live
in burrows in mud flats associated with mangrove communities. The eyestalks are long and slender,
occupying the entire front margin of the carapace when folded down. These crabs are scavengers, feeding on
detrital matter; however, some ocypodid crabs have been found to feed directly
on mangrove pneumatophores.
Family Gecarcinidae:
includes the land crabs which have adapted to long periods away from
water. Land crabs such as Cardisoma guanhumi (great land crab) can
be found in large burrows in sediments close to mangroves. These crabs are omnivorous, feeding on
detrital matter and leaves.
Family Xanthidae:
includes mud and stone crabs that live in shallow waters. These crabs have oval to hexagonal carapaces
with four teeth along the lateral margin.
Species such as Eurytium limosum
(mangrove mud crab) are found burrowing in muddy sediments in mangrove swamps
below the high tide mark.
Occasionally, other decapod families
that are mostly found in submerged marine communities may be found within
mangrove communities. Crabs in the
Family Portunidae, such as Callinectes
sapidus (blue swimming crab), may enter mangrove tidal flats during high
tide. Hermit crabs from the Families
Diogenidae and Paguridae may also be found in waters adjacent to mangrove
communities. Characterizing the crustacean fauna found in mangroves is an
important step in understanding the relationship between the vegetative structure
and invertebrate diversity that is supported by this structure.
Table 3.2: Systematic list of Crustaceans that might be found in mangrove communities of South Florida and the Gulf of Mexico
PHYLUM
ARTHROPODA
Subphylum Crustacea
Class Malacostraca
Subclass Eumalacostraca
Superorder Eucarida
Order Decapoda
Suborder Pleocyemata
Superfamily Grapsidoidea
Family
Grapsidae
Aratus
pisonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)
Goniopsis
cruentata (Latreille, 1802)
Pachygrapsus
transversus (Gibbes, 1850)
Sesarma
curacaoense (De Man, 1892)
Sesarma
ricordi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853)
Family
Gecarcinidae
Cardisoma
guanhumi (Latreille, 1825)
Superfamily Ocypodoidea
Uca
burgersi (Holthuis, 1967)
Uca
rapax (Smith, 1870)
Uca
thayeri (Rathbun, 1900)
Uca
vocator (Herbst, 1804)
Ucides
cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763)
Superfamily Xanthoidea
Family
Xanthidae
Eurytium
limosum (Say, 1818)
Superfamily Portunoidea
Family
Portunidae
Callinectes
sapidus (Rathbun, 1896)
Superfamily
Coenobitoidea
Family
Coenobitidae
Coenobita
clypeatus (Herbst, 1791)
Family
Diogenidae
Clibanarius
vittatus (Bosc, 1802)
Crustacean
Checklist for Matheson Hammock:
|
TAXA |
Common Name |
Genera |
species |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
|
CRUSTACEA |
Brown snapping |
Alpheus |
armatus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Common snapping |
Alpheus |
heterochaelis |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Graspid crab |
Aratus |
pisonii |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Blue crab |
Callinectes |
sapidus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Blue swimming crab |
Callinectes |
sapidus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Brown fingered swimming crab |
Callinectes |
larvatus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
3-color hermit |
Clibanarus |
tricolor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Striped hermit crab |
Clibanarus |
vittatus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Star-eyed hermit |
Dardanus |
venosus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Unkown snapping shr. |
F. Alpheidae |
? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Pea crab |
F. Pinnotheridae |
??? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Unknown stomatopod |
F. Squillidae |
? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Unknown xanthidae |
F. Xanthidae |
? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Amphopoda |
Gammarian |
amphopoda |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Mantis shrimp |
Gonodactylis |
oerstedi |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Horseshoe Crab |
Limulus |
polyphemus |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Crab |
Ocypode |
cerathphthalma |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Common shore crab |
Pachygrapsus |
transversus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Crab |
Pachygraspus |
minutus |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Shore crab |
Pachygraspus |
tranversus |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Spiny lobster |
Panulirus |
argus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Giant red hermit |
Petrochirus |
diogenes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Curaco marsh crab |
Sesarma |
curacoense |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Marbled marsh crab |
Sesarma |
ricordi |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Fiddler crab |
Uca |
vocatur |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Burger's fiddler crab |
Uca |
burgersi |
X |
|
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Caribbean fiddler crab |
Uca |
rapax |
|
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Ives Fiddler crab |
Uca |
speciosa |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUSTACEA |
Mangrove land crab |
Ucites |
cordatus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|