Trapezia tigrina

Trapezia tigrina is a species of guard crab in the family Trapeziidae.^[2] The species was described in 1842 by Joseph Fortuné Théodore Eydoux and Louis François Auguste Souleyet.^[1] A common name for the species is red-spotted guard crab.^[3] It is known for its symbiotic relationship with corals, and can be distinguished by its vibrant red spots and flattened body.^[4]

Trapezia tigrina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Infraorder:	Brachyura
Family:	Trapeziidae
Genus:	Trapezia
Species:	T. tigrina
Binomial name
Trapezia tigrina Eydoux & Souleyet, 1842
Synonyms[1]
Trapezia danae Ward, 1939 Trapezia danai Ward, 1939 Trapezia punctata Coulon, 1864 Trapezia wardi Serène, 1971

Description

The red-spotted guard crab's exoskeleton can range between cream and pink and can be spotted with up to 150 red spots.^[5] It has 6 small teeth between its eyes, and the lower half of its pincers is smooth.^[6] The red-spotted guard crab can grow between 1.5 and 2.5 cm (0.6 and 1.0 in)^[7] and has a carapace width of up to 1.5 cm (0.6 in).^[5] Reproduction is sexual, but sperm transfer is indirect.^[6] It usually lives in solitude or in small groups, and mating often involves courtship rituals.^[6]

Distribution and habitat

This coral-associated crab is native to the Indo-Pacific, including Hawai'i,^[4] East Africa, the Red Sea, Japan,^[6] Indonesia,^[5] and the Philippines.^[1] It inhabits shallow coral reefs between branching corals, where it develops a mutualistic relationship by defending the coral from predators in exchange for shelter.^[5] Trapezia tigrina can be found at a depth between 1 and 90 m (3.3 and 295.3 ft).^[6]