''Leptuca deichmanni'', commonly known as Deichmann's fiddler crab, is a species of
fiddler crab
The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexual dimorphism, sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than th ...
native to the eastern Pacific coast of
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, in
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
and
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
.
[
]
Taxonomy
Previously a member of the genus ''Uca
The fiddler crab or calling crab may be any of more than one hundred species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae, well known for their sexually dimorphic claws; the males' major claw is much larger than the minor claw, whil ...
'', the species was transferred in 2016 to the genus ''Leptuca
''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae.
The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas.
Description
They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...
'' when ''Leptuca
''Leptuca'' is a genus of fiddler crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae.
The species of this genus are found on the coasts of the Americas.
Description
They are small- to large-sized crabs with an adult carapace width of 5–25 mm in adult ...
'' was promoted from subgenus to genus level.[
]
Description
Crabs are normally 9-9.5mm in carapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
width.[ The ]carapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
is strongly arched and is greenish brown to pale gray in color.[ The minor ]cheliped
A chela ()also called a claw, nipper, or pinceris a pincer-like organ at the end of certain limbs of some arthropods. The name comes from Ancient Greek , through New Latin '. The plural form is chelae. Legs bearing a chela are called chelipeds. ...
has a wide gape.[ Females have thin ambulatory legs.][
]
Habitat
The species prefers open, bay shores with either muddy sand substrate containing some small stones or pure sand substrate containing some large stones.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q107086594
Ocypodoidea
Crustaceans described in 1935