The thumbnail crab, ''Thia scutellata'', is a species of
decapods, in the family of thiidae, whose
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 ...
resembles a
human thumbnail, a dense fringe of long hairs distinctly notched around the edge. Pale pink in colour with red to brown markings. It is found in the
North Sea, north-east
Atlantic and
Mediterranean Sea.
It is the only extant species in the genus ''Thia'', although two fossil species are known.
Their predators includes the
atlantic cod.
References
Portunoidea
Crabs of the Atlantic Ocean
Crustaceans described in 1793
{{crab-stub
ceb:Thiidae