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Trees- ShrubsSmall Spider Crab (Maja crispata )
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As with other spider crabs, Maja crispata (formerly known as M. verrucosa) can be characterised by its long slender pereopods (walking legs), the first pair being chelate, and its pear shaped carapace. The carapace of this species can reach up to 60mm in length and extends into outward curving rostral horns with coarse bristles. The lateral spines on the carapace are in a single series and are especially long (1).
M. crispata as with other smaller species of spider crab, is a slow moving species, typically remaining hidden amongst algae or hydroid clumps and camouflaging itself by attaching pieces of weed or hydroid to its carapace or pereopods (1).
The breeding period extends from May to September with an average of 11473 eggs per female. Males have three post larval stages whereas females have only two (2).
M. crispata can be found in shallow sublittoral regions to depths of 50m on coarse sand and mixed grounds and also in deep tidal pools at extreme low water level spring tides (1).
This species is only found in the Mediterranean (1).
Echinoderms, chitons, crustaceans, seaweeds and bivalves have been found in the gut of this species (3).
Not listed under the IUCN Redlist (4).
Description written by Angus Smith (2009)
(1) Hayward, P., Nelson-Smith, T. & Shields, C., 1996. Collins Pocket Guide – Sea Shore of Britain and Europe. London: Harper Collins Publisher Ltd.
(2) Suárez C. A. C. (2003), Reproductive biology and relative growth in the spider crab Maja crispata (Crustacea: Brachyura: Majidae). Scientia Marina, 67(1): 75-80
(3) Stevcic Z. (1985). Contribution à la connaisance sur la norriture du crabe Maja crispate. Rapports de la Commision Intérnational de la Mer Méditerranée. 29: 315-316
(4) IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 September 2009.
