Hapalogaster mertensii
Hairy crab
Distribution
Description
Carapace and legs are flatenned dorso-ventrally and covered in a thick mass of yellow-brown, bristle-like setae. Beneath the setae, the carapace is brown and red with some white spots. Anterior margins of legs 2-4 are lined with large spines, and the propodus of the walking legs have one dark red and two white bands. Tip of dactyl is black, and chelipeds have white teeth and orange tips.
Information
Max Size: N/A cm
Sea Temperature Range: N/A
Depth: N/A
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Widespread (50% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Jo Schmid