Atelecyclus rotundatus is a medium-sized crab found on the west coast of Europe and Africa as well as almost all the Mediterranean Sea and on the Cape Verde and Canary islands.[2] It has many common names, including circular crab, round crab and old man's face crab. It measures about 40 millimetres (1.6 in) across its almost circular, reddish-brown carapace and lives on coarse soft bottoms at shallow depths.[2] There are 9–11 sharp teeth on the front and 3 teeth between the eyes.[2]
| Atelecyclus rotundatus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Atelecyclidae |
| Genus: | Atelecyclus |
| Species: | A. rotundatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Atelecyclus rotundatus (Olivi, 1792)
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| Synonyms [1] | |
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This crab is sometimes mistaken for the more common Atelecyclus undecimdentatus. However, Atelecyclus undecimdentatus can be distinguished by its wider carapace and coarser granulations.[3]
References
edit- ^ Peter K. L. Ng; Danièle Guinot & Peter J. F. Davie (2008). "Systema Brachyurorum: Part I. An annotated checklist of extant Brachyuran crabs of the world" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 17: 1–286. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ a b c Sonia Rowley (2007). "Atelecyclus rotundatus. Circular crab". Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme. Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
- ^ "The Marine Life Information Network". MarLIN. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
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