Lissoporcellana sp./Porcelain Crab - but which species?

Hi,

I took this picture in Lembeh at Nudi Retreat in last July - obviously it shows a Porcelain Crab.

By wahrmut

Does anybody have some hints about the species? I couldn't find anything yet.

Cheers

Wahrmut

Nope, wrong family. It's a portunidae, genus Caphyra. Depending on the markings on the back this is identified as C. bedoti, C. unidentata, or C. yookadai.

Thanks for your help, Leslie!

It's very hard to find any pics from Caphyra sp. on the web but as far as I see, it can't be C. unidentata or C. yookadai because both species have some dots on their backs.

The crab on my photograph seems to have no dots at all although I haven't made a real good ID photo for comparison.

I found a very small picture from Caphyra bedoti on the web and it seems that this species also has some kind of spots - very confusing.

The only picture I have is from the side and it shows a tiny little bit of it's backside but I first have to convert the RAW to JPEG and than I'll upload it here.

You are absolutely sure that is must be the genus Caphyra?

Thanks so far!

Wahrmut

Ok, here is a crop from another picture that shows at least a little bit of the back.

By wahrmut

To me it seems like there isn't any spot on it's back.

What do you think?

Cheers

Wahrmut

I'm 95% sure it's Caphyra but I admit I jumped the gun on species by assuming that there were spots on the back. Caphyra laevis is also a Xenia commensal & ranges from white with lots of brown markings to all white so that's another possibility. There's somewhere between 15 & 20 species in the genus; many of them are octocoral associates. As usual it takes a specimen in hand to accurately id something.

Drew -- please note that I am NOT asking for specimens, just telling it like it is!

Thanks again, Leslie!

I was searching the web for Caphyra laevis and found only pics with markings on the back :-((:

http://www.unterwasserfoto.ch/pictdb/pictd...IND20080416_050

http://www.unterwasserfoto.ch/pictdb/pictd...IND20080416_048

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2408503780064828159OVKOvL

http://www.webshots.com/search?query=Caphy...+Bechu+PB150290

Do you have pictures of Caphyra sp. with no markings at all?

Would be a great help!

Cheers

Wahrmut

Here's two - the first one is identified as a Quadrella but I think the id is wrong and it's a Caphyra

http://www.aurumspace.com/galerie_ansicht....eite=4&erw=

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathieumeur/364497010/

Here's two - the first one is identified as a Quadrella but I think the id is wrong and it's a Caphyra

http://www.aurumspace.com/galerie_ansicht....eite=4&erw=

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathieumeur/364497010/

Oh yes, both of them are looking very similar to mine and they don't show any markings on their backs - as far as I see.

I'm almost 100% sure that the 1st link doesn't show a Quadrella granulosa.

Teresa (on the starfish.ch site) usually is very percise with her IDs and her Quadrella granulosa looks like this:

http://www.starfish.ch/Fotos/crustaceans-G...-granulosa1.jpg

Veeery complicated!

Cheers

Be careful about ids on any web site or guide book. Even the best ones like Zubi's have mistakes & the worst ones are just horrible. Sometimes the identification is wrong (like the phoronid Zubi has listed as a polychaete) or it's an out of date name like Quadrella granulosa. A little digging shows that several Quadrella experts agree that granulosa is the same thing as Quadrella coronata. Since coronata is the older name that's the one that is valid. I also make mistakes all the time from relying too much on photos.