[Coral-List] coral reef swimming crabs (Sarah Frias-Torres)

[Nathaniel Evans]

Dear Dr. Frias-Torres,

This behavior is not unheard of for swimming crabs and is documented for 
a few spcies in the Indian Ocean. For example:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00227-009-1151-z

 From the footage it is hard to tell but it is either a Portunus or 
Charybdis species. Generally the species are well known for that region 
so if you can catch one and get some photos we could probably get pretty 
close with an ID. Preserving a specimen in EtOH is even better. Feel 
free to contact me if you need some help and really want to pin down an ID.

Cheers!
Nat

Nathaniel Evans
PhD Candidate
Dept. Biology &
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Florida Museum of Natural History
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, USA
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/malacology/
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/malacology/evans.htm

> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 02:22:18 -0400
> From: Sarah Frias-Torres<sfrias_torres at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Coral-List] coral reef swimming crabs
> To: coral list<coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
> Message-ID:<SNT148-W266EA0C30FFDEB7ABB5ABF81220 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> When monitoring a coral reef nursery, these swimming crabs appeared to be migrating. Any IDs are welcome. Has anyone seen this behavior before? There was some BBC documentary with Attenborough showing one swimming crab with some Japanese music (can't find the clip), but not as many as in here.
> http://youtu.be/RiRn1MY4oqM
>
> Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D. Coordinator Reef Rescuers ProgramIsland Conservation Centre Nature Seychelles,Amitie, Praslin, Seychelleshttp://www.natureseychelles.org-and-Research CollaboratorSmithsonian-National Museum of Natural Historyat Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, FL, USATwitter: @GrouperDocBlog:http://grouperluna.wordpress.comhttp://independent..academia.edu/SarahFriasTorres
>   		 	   		


-- 
Nathaniel Evans
PhD Candidate
Dept. Biology &
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Florida Museum of Natural History
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, USA