Lithodes australiensis

Lithodes australiensis is a species of king crab.[1] They live in southeastern Australia, known as far north as Cape Hawke and as far south as the South Tasman Rise.[1] They have been found at depths between 540–1,312 m (1,772–4,304 ft), but they typically live between 1,000–1,100 m (3,300–3,600 ft).[1]

Lithodes australiensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Anomura
Family: Lithodidae
Genus: Lithodes
Species:
L. australiensis
Binomial name
Lithodes australiensis
Ahyong, 2010[1]
Map
Holotype site[1]

Appearance

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L. australiensis is deep-red in colour.[1] It has a pyriform carapace featuring prominent, slender spines sparsely interspersed with granules on its dorsal surface.[1] The carapace has been measured as large as 199.7 mm (7.86 in)[a] in length and 127.5 mm (5.02 in) in width in males.[1][b] It has a prominent rostrum, comprising about half of the carapace length in juveniles and about one-third in adults.[1] Its chelipeds and walking legs have major spines separated by a smooth or mostly smooth surface, and the chelipeds are around half the length of the walking legs.[1] The chelae bear small spines and tubercles, and the fingers have tufts of golden setae arranged in rows.[1] Its frontmost pair of walking legs tend to be smaller than the other two, and all of its dactyli are curved.[1] On its underside, the third through fifth segments of its abdomen have a median plate featuring nodules.[1] Toward the posterior, its abdomen has a wrinkly second segment, and toward the front, it has a rounded telson.[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ Postrostral carapace length 132.8 mm (5.23 in)
  2. ^ No current records exist of adult females.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Ahyong, Shane T. (2010). The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: King Crabs of New Zealand, Australia, and the Ross Sea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Lithodidae) (PDF). NIWA Biodiversity Memoirs. Vol. 123. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. pp. 29–37. ISBN 978-0478232851. LCCN 2010497356. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 February 2020.
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