Insulamon palawanense, or the Palawan purple crab is a species of freshwater crab from the Philippines described in 2012.[1][2] They are 2.5–5.3 centimetres (1.0–2.1 in) wide and are a striking purple colour.
| Insulamon palawanense | |
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| Insulamon palawanense on a 2015 stamp of the Philippines | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Potamidae |
| Genus: | Insulamon |
| Species: | I. palawanense
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| Binomial name | |
| Insulamon palawanense Freitag, 2012
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History
editThe species was described by Hendrik Freitag of the Senckenberg Museum of Zoology in Dresden, Germany, having previously been included in a wider circumscription of I. unicorn.[1] The species is endemic to the island of Palawan, where it has a wide distribution.[2] The striking iridescent purple coloration may help the crabs to recognise others of its species,[2] or may serve no purpose.[3]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Insulamon palawanense.
- ^ a b Hendrik Freitag (2012). "Revision of the genus Insulamon Ng & Takeda, 1992 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Potamidae) with description of four new species" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 60 (1): 37–55. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ a b c "Newly discovered purple crabs". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
- ^ "Pretty in Purple". National Geographic Society. 18 April 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
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