Geosesarma

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Geosesarma
Geosesarma aurantium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Sesarmidae
Genus: Geosesarma
De Man, 1892
Type species
Sesarma noduliferum [1]
de Man, 1892

Geosesarma is genus of small freshwater or terrestrial crabs, typically less than 10 mm (0.4 in) across the carapace.[2] They live and reproduce on land with the larval stages inside the egg. They are found from India,[3] through Southeast Asia, to the Solomon Islands and Hawaii.[2]

In the pet trade, they are sometimes called vampire crabs. This has nothing to do with their feeding habits, but rather with the bright, contrastingly yellow eyes of some Geosesarma species.[4]

Species[edit]

Geosesarma contains these species:[1]

As of March 2015, professor Peter Ng of National University of Singapore has named 20 Geosesarma species, and he "has another half a dozen or so newly collected Geosesarma species from Southeast Asia in his lab, and these species still need to be named and described."[4][5]

Threats[edit]

Geosesarma dennerle and Geosesarma hagen, both originally from Java, are threatened by illegal overcollection for the aquarium trade.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Peter Davie (2012). "Geosesarma de Man, 1892". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Hartnoll, Richard G. (1998). "Evolution, systematics, and geographical distribution". In Warren W. Burggren; Brian R. McMahon (eds.). Biology of the Land Crabs. Cambridge University Press. pp. 6–54. ISBN 9780521306904.
  3. ^ Pati, S. K.; Dev Roy, M. K.; Sharma, R. M. "Freshwater crabs" (PDF). Checklist of Indian fauna. Zoological Survey of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Blaszczak-Boxe, Agata (March 19, 2015). "Mystery of the 'Vampire Crabs' Solved". livescience.com.
  5. ^ Blaszczak-Boxe, Agata (19 March 2015). "Mystery of the 'Vampire Crabs' Solved". LiveScience. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  6. ^ Mahbu, Amri (March 23, 2015). "New Species of Javan Vampire Crabs Face Potential Exploitation".

External links[edit]