HYASTENUS HILGENDORFI (DE MAN, 1887) (BRACHYURA, PISIDAE): A HEAVILY ENCRUSTED DECORATOR CRAB INHABITING THE SUEZ CANAL
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This paper reports on a study of the associated epibiota of the spider crab, Hyastenus hilgendorfi (De Man, 1887), inhabiting the Suez Canal. Ten species of macro-epibionts were identified. The barnacle Balanus amphitrite, the tunicate Microcosmus sp., and the tube worm Hydroides elegans were the major epibionts recorded. The carapace was the most covered body part followed by the chelae in males and the pereopods in non-ovigerous and ovigerous females. Considerable variation in the various covering materials was found between males, non-ovigerous, and ovigerous females. Seasonality of coverage occurred, with males and non-ovigerous females heavily covered in winter but without coverage in spring. The extremely heavy encrustation in this species is unusual among pisid crabs. 2011 BRILL.