Neil McDaniel, Kanada
Info
Telmessus cheiragonus is a true crab without rostrum, but with several distinct teeth between the eyes and along the anterolateral edges of the carapace.
The marginal teeth of the carapace have several spines
The abdomen of the male has 6 segments plus the telson, the carapace is five-sided, carapace width up to 97 mm (male) and 102 mm (female).
The chelipedes are relatively short - shorter than the long legs, the right scissors are usually larger than the left.
Colour: usually greenish or brownish yellow; may have red or orange spots and edges.
Its predators include sea otters and fur seals, the rose-lipped bullhead (Ashlichthys rhodorus) and gulls, which catch the crab in seagrass meadows at low tide, turn it over and eat its insides.
The genus Telmessus was formerly placed in the family Atelecyclidae (Poore and Ahyong, 2023).
Differentiation from similar species: It is the only flat member of the family Cheiragonidae in this area and the only local species with a five-sided carapace.Atelecyclidae (Poore and Ahyong, 2023).
Synonyms:
Cancer cheiragonus Tilesius, 1815
Platycorystes (Platycorystes) ambiguus J. F. Brandt, 1848
Platycorystes ambiguus Brandt, 1848
Platycorystes cheiragonus (Tilesius, 1815)
Platycorystes cheiragonus var. hippocarcinoides Brandt, 1851
Telmessus serratus White, 1846
The marginal teeth of the carapace have several spines
The abdomen of the male has 6 segments plus the telson, the carapace is five-sided, carapace width up to 97 mm (male) and 102 mm (female).
The chelipedes are relatively short - shorter than the long legs, the right scissors are usually larger than the left.
Colour: usually greenish or brownish yellow; may have red or orange spots and edges.
Its predators include sea otters and fur seals, the rose-lipped bullhead (Ashlichthys rhodorus) and gulls, which catch the crab in seagrass meadows at low tide, turn it over and eat its insides.
The genus Telmessus was formerly placed in the family Atelecyclidae (Poore and Ahyong, 2023).
Differentiation from similar species: It is the only flat member of the family Cheiragonidae in this area and the only local species with a five-sided carapace.Atelecyclidae (Poore and Ahyong, 2023).
Synonyms:
Cancer cheiragonus Tilesius, 1815
Platycorystes (Platycorystes) ambiguus J. F. Brandt, 1848
Platycorystes ambiguus Brandt, 1848
Platycorystes cheiragonus (Tilesius, 1815)
Platycorystes cheiragonus var. hippocarcinoides Brandt, 1851
Telmessus serratus White, 1846
