Naxia aurita
Spider crab
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Moderate-sized spider crab with a pear-shaped body and orange chelipeds with blue trim. Two related species differ in having the second last segment of the legs expanded terminally to form a claw and in having large spines (Naxia spinosa) and tubercles (Naxia tumida) on the upper surface of the carapace. All three species occur in sheltered vegetated habitats along the southern coast, with N.aurita the most common.
Information
Max Size: 4 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 10.5-22.3°C
Depth: 0-108m
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: Infrequent (4.6% 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: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney