''Leptomithrax gaimardii'' (common name - Great spider-crab) is a species of crab in the

Majidae Majidae is a family of crabs, comprising around 200 marine species inside 52 genera, with a carapace that is longer than it is broad, and which forms a point at the front. The legs can be very long in some species, leading to the name "spider cra ...

family, first described by Henri Milne-Edwards in 1834 as ''Paramithrax gaimardii,'' from a specimen (erroneously said to be) found in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

waters by Joseph Paul Gaimard who is honoured by the species epithet. It is found in coastal waters of

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South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

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New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, and

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Description

This crab has a red-brown rounded carapace up to 16 cm wide and has a leg span of up to 40 cm. Sometimes seaweed and sponges attach to its body. When breeding these crabs form groups of often greater than 100 crabs, Breeding occurs just before winter moulting when they are vulnerable to predation because of their soft shells. The large congregations make them less vulnerable. The crab is a scavenger, and is found in seaweed, reef and sand areas at depths of up to 820 m.

References

External links

''Leptomithrax gaimardii'' occurrence data
from

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* {{Crustacean-stub Taxa named by Henri Milne-Edwards Crustaceans described in 1834