[Short Note] Newly Recorded Symbiotic Crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from Southern Taiwan Coral Reefs
Ming-Shiou Jeng
Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan 115, R.O.C.
This paper reports eight symbiotic crabs from inshore waters off the coast of southern Taiwan. Among them, Xenocarinus tuberculatus is commensal with a sea whip and the boxing crab Lybia tessellata, with sea anemones. The remaining 6 species, Pseudoliomera speciosa, Cymo andreossyi, Trapezia cymodoce, T. septata, T. guttata, and T. rufopunctata, are symbiotic with several species of branching scleractinian corals. Five species: X. tuberculatus, L. tessellata, P. speciosa, C. andreossyi, and T. guttata are new records from Taiwan. The above crabs all cling to the coral with their highly modified hooked claws. The diagnostic characters, distribution, photographs, and information on their hosts are provided.
Keywords
Symbiosis, Brachyuran
