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''Johngarthia planata'', sometimes known as the Clipperton crab, is a bright orange species of land crab that lives on 
The introduction of
Clipperton Island
Clipperton Island ( or ; ) is an uninhabited, coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is from Paris, France, from Papeete, Tahiti, and from Mexico. It is an overseas state private property of France under direct authority of the Minis ...
in the eastern Pacific; on Malpelo Island
Malpelo is a small oceanic island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, located about west of the Colombian mainland with a military post manned by the Colombian Armed Forces. It consists of a sheer and barren rock with three high peaks, the highest ...
, west of Colombia; and on Socorro Island
Socorro Island ( es, Isla Socorro) is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying off the country's western coast. The size is 16.5 by 11.5 km (10.25 by 7.15 miles), with an area of . It is the largest ...
in the Revillagigedo Islands
The Revillagigedo Islands ( es, Islas Revillagigedo, ) or Revillagigedo Archipelago are a group of four volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, known for their unique ecosystem. They lie approximately from Socorro Island south and southwest of C ...
off Mexico, 900 km north of Clipperton. It is omnivorous and feeds on seaweed (algae), vegetation and sometimes carrion.
The introduction of pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...
s on Clipperton Island by guano miners in the 1890s reduced the crab population: this in turn allowed grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
to gradually cover about 80 percent of the land surface. The elimination of these pigs in 1958 — as the result of a personal project by Kenneth E. Stager — has caused most of this vegetation to disappear, resulting in the return of millions of ''J. planata''. A 2005 report by the NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla
La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781.
La Jolla is surrounded on ...
, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, USA indicates that the increased rat presence has led to a decline in the crab population, causing a corresponding increase in both vegetation and coconut palms. This report urgently recommended eradication of rats so that vegetation might be reduced and the island might return to its "pre-human" state.
References
;NotesExternal links
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q13373459 Grapsoidea Terrestrial crustaceans Crustaceans described in 1860