Tasmanoplax latifrons, commonly known as the southern sentinel crab, is a species of crab found on the south-east coast of Australia, from Tasmania to southern NSW, as far north as the Hunter river.[1] It inhabits tidal mudflats with seagrass, and forms burrows.[2] It is the only species in the genus Tasmanoplax.[3][4][5]
| Tasmanoplax | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Macrophthalmidae |
| Subfamily: | Macrophthalminae |
| Genus: | Tasmanoplax Barnes, 1967 |
| Species: | T. latifrons
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| Binomial name | |
| Tasmanoplax latifrons (Haswell, 1881)
| |
The carapace is up to about 30 mm (1.2 in) across. It can be distinguished from the semaphore crab (Heloecius cordiformis) that looks similar and is found in similar mudflat habitat, as it has notches in the side of the carapace (also described as three teeth, including one at the eye). It is yellow brown, with setae on the legs, especially the last two.[6]
References
edit- ^ Davie, P. (2012). "A review of Macrophthalmus sensu lato (Crustacea: Decapoda: Macrophthalmidae) from Australia, including two new species and new records". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Nature. 56 (1). Queensland Museum: 149–219.
- ^ Taylor, J.; Poore, G. (2010). "Tasmanoplax latifrons Southern Sentinel Crab in Museum Victoria Collections". Museum Victoria Collections. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
- ^ M. A. Pancucci-Papadopoulou; M. Corsini-Foka & M. Naletaki (2010). "Macrophthalmus graeffei A. Milne Edwards, 1873 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Macrophthalmidae): a new Indo-Pacific guest off Rhodes Island (SE Aegean Sea, Greece)". Mediterranean Marine Science. 11 (1): 195–200. doi:10.12681/mms.103.
- ^ Barnes, R.S.K. (1967). "The Macrophthalminae of Australasia; with a review of the evolution and morphological diversity of the type genus Macrophthalmus (Crustacea: Brachyura)". Transactions of the Zoological Society of London. 31 (2): 195–261, pls. 1-4. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1967.tb00367.x.
- ^ Griffin, D.J.G. (1969). "Notes on the taxonomy and zoogeography of the Tasmanian grapsid and ocypodid crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura)". Records of the Australian Museum. 27 (18). Sydney: Australian Museum: 323–347. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.27.1969.452. ISSN 0067-1975.
- ^ "Southern Sentinel Crab Tasmanolax latifrons (Haswell, 1881)". 7 December 2022.
External links
edit- "Crab Database · Crabs · Species Tasmanoplax latifrons". www.crabdatabase.info. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
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