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Platypodiella picta (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869)
Platypodiella is a genus of crabs in the family Xanthidae. The genus currently includes only 5 described species.
Platypodiella picta is a colorful crab, not without reason called the harlequin crab. Platypodiella picta was collected in a tidal pool at Praia dos Reis Magos on the south coast of the island of Madeira. In the same tide pool, there was also a colony of the encrusting anemone Palythoa canariense.
Color pattern of Platypodiella picta: carapace and pereiopods are colored ochre with reddish-brown spots, surrounded by two concentric lines: a very regular and very conspicuous dark brown-red inner line and a white outer line with a rather variable width.
Crabs of the genus Platypodiella are known for their association with zoanthids, mainly of the genus Palythoa, but also with sponges and corals. They make burrows in their host, which they use as shelter.
During the Statia Marine Biodiversity Expedition to St. Eustatius (Lesser Antilles, Netherlands Caribbean) in June 2015, small crabs (ca. 5–10 mm wide) of Platypodiella spectabilis (Herbst, 1794) were most frequently observed either inside or in close proximity to Palythoa caribaeorum. A larger crab of the same species (~30 mm wide) was found hidden among sponges and corals, while crevices in dead coral may also be a common habitat. All crabs were characteristically colored in variable patterns of orange, yellow, black and white.
Research on the feeding behavior of the clown crab Platypodiella picta towards two species of the genus Palythoa (Palythoa caribaeorum and Palythoa aff. clavata) led to the conclusion that Platypodiella picta is an active predator of the Palythoa species and stores the poison of the crustacean anemones in its own body.
(see “Feeding behavior of the clown crab Platypodiella picta upon two species of the genus Palythoa”).
Many species of the family Xanthidae can be poisonous, although they themselves have no poisonous apparatus (poisonous teeth, poisonous spines, poisonous glands in the skin), the consumption of these crustaceans can even be fatal for humans. Such animals are considered passive-poisonous.
The toxins of crabs (saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin) are produced by endobacteria and stored in the flesh of the crab, these e are highly potent and similar to the neurotoxins of puffer fish and just as deadly.
In its raw and cooked meat, consumption of the crab meat is toxic to humans!
Please be sure to clarify whether the meat of these crabs is toxic or non-toxic before eating it!
Call an emergency doctor immediately at the first signs of poisoning (e.g. breathing problems, muscle cramps)!
The good news is there’s no way you can be exposed to these toxins if you don’t try to eat these crabs – a bite or a jab isn’t going to do the job.
The bad news for those who unwittingly consume these crabs is that cooking the meat isn’t going to make the toxins any less effective.
Fortunately, toxic crabs don’t want to be eaten just as much as we shouldn’t be eating them, so they help us out with their glorious warning colours.
Synonymised names:
Cancer geographicus Fréminville in Monod, 1933 · unaccepted > nomen nudum
Lophactaea picta A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 · unaccepted > superseded combination
Platypodiella is a genus of crabs in the family Xanthidae. The genus currently includes only 5 described species.
Platypodiella picta is a colorful crab, not without reason called the harlequin crab. Platypodiella picta was collected in a tidal pool at Praia dos Reis Magos on the south coast of the island of Madeira. In the same tide pool, there was also a colony of the encrusting anemone Palythoa canariense.
Color pattern of Platypodiella picta: carapace and pereiopods are colored ochre with reddish-brown spots, surrounded by two concentric lines: a very regular and very conspicuous dark brown-red inner line and a white outer line with a rather variable width.
Crabs of the genus Platypodiella are known for their association with zoanthids, mainly of the genus Palythoa, but also with sponges and corals. They make burrows in their host, which they use as shelter.
During the Statia Marine Biodiversity Expedition to St. Eustatius (Lesser Antilles, Netherlands Caribbean) in June 2015, small crabs (ca. 5–10 mm wide) of Platypodiella spectabilis (Herbst, 1794) were most frequently observed either inside or in close proximity to Palythoa caribaeorum. A larger crab of the same species (~30 mm wide) was found hidden among sponges and corals, while crevices in dead coral may also be a common habitat. All crabs were characteristically colored in variable patterns of orange, yellow, black and white.
Research on the feeding behavior of the clown crab Platypodiella picta towards two species of the genus Palythoa (Palythoa caribaeorum and Palythoa aff. clavata) led to the conclusion that Platypodiella picta is an active predator of the Palythoa species and stores the poison of the crustacean anemones in its own body.
(see “Feeding behavior of the clown crab Platypodiella picta upon two species of the genus Palythoa”).
Many species of the family Xanthidae can be poisonous, although they themselves have no poisonous apparatus (poisonous teeth, poisonous spines, poisonous glands in the skin), the consumption of these crustaceans can even be fatal for humans. Such animals are considered passive-poisonous.
The toxins of crabs (saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin) are produced by endobacteria and stored in the flesh of the crab, these e are highly potent and similar to the neurotoxins of puffer fish and just as deadly.
In its raw and cooked meat, consumption of the crab meat is toxic to humans!
Please be sure to clarify whether the meat of these crabs is toxic or non-toxic before eating it!
Call an emergency doctor immediately at the first signs of poisoning (e.g. breathing problems, muscle cramps)!
The good news is there’s no way you can be exposed to these toxins if you don’t try to eat these crabs – a bite or a jab isn’t going to do the job.
The bad news for those who unwittingly consume these crabs is that cooking the meat isn’t going to make the toxins any less effective.
Fortunately, toxic crabs don’t want to be eaten just as much as we shouldn’t be eating them, so they help us out with their glorious warning colours.
Synonymised names:
Cancer geographicus Fréminville in Monod, 1933 · unaccepted > nomen nudum
Lophactaea picta A. Milne-Edwards, 1869 · unaccepted > superseded combination
