Metacarcinus edwardsii

Metacarcinus edwardsii, sometimes known as mola rock crab,[1] southern rock crab,[2] or Chilean rock crab,[2] is a species of crab from the Pacific coast of South America.[1][3]

Metacarcinus edwardsii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Brachyura
Family: Cancridae
Genus: Metacarcinus
Species:
M. edwardsii
Binomial name
Metacarcinus edwardsii
(Bell, 1835)
Synonyms
  • Cancer edwardsii Bell, 1835
  • Cancer edwardsii var. annulipes Miers, 1881

Distribution

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Metacarcinus edwardsii is found along the Pacific coast between Guayaquil in Ecuador and the Beagle Channel in the southernmost Chile.[3]

Description

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Females reach functional maturity at carapace width 106 mm (4.2 in), that is, 50% of females are egg-bearing at this size. Males reach functional maturity at slightly larger sizes.[4] The largest male crabs measure about 165 mm (6.5 in) in carapace width.[5]

Metacarcinus edwardsii is univoltine, with the mating season from October to January.[5]

 
A typical boat involved in the crab fishery in southern Chile
 
Typical crab trap used to catch Metacarcinus edwardsii in southern Chile

Utilization

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In Chile, it is the most important commercially exploited crab, caught exclusively in artisanal fisheries.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Davie, P. (2015). "Metacarcinus edwardsii". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Southern rock crab Metacarcinus edwardsii" (PDF). Product information sheet. Great Northern Products, Ltd. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Rojas-Hernandez, Noemi; Véliz, David; Pardo, Luis Miguel (22 April 2014). "Use of novel microsatellite markers for population and paternity analysis in the commercially important crab (Brachyura: Cancridae)". Marine Biology Research. 10 (8): 839–844. doi:10.1080/17451000.2013.863350. hdl:10533/133329. S2CID 85601371.
  4. ^ a b Pardo, Luis Miguel; Fuentes, Juan Pablo; Olguín, Andrés; Orensanz, J. M. (Lobo) (2009). "Reproductive maturity in the edible Chilean crab Cancer edwardsii: methodological and management considerations". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 89 (8): 1627–1634. doi:10.1017/S0025315409000010. hdl:11336/95941. ISSN 1469-7769. S2CID 86161599.
  5. ^ a b Pardo, Luis Miguel; Rosas, Yenifer; Fuentes, Juan Pablo; Riveros, Marcela Paz; Chaparro, Oscar Roberto; Duplisea, Daniel E. (13 March 2015). "Fishery induces sperm depletion and reduction in male reproductive potential for crab species under male-biased harvest strategy". PLOS ONE. 10 (3): e0115525. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1015525P. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0115525. PMC 4359117. PMID 25768728.
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