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Biology

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The masked crab burrows backwards into the sand. Once it is in the sand, the crab forms a tube by fusing the bristles of the second pair of antennae together; it then draws water down this tube for respiration (3). It feeds on burrowing invertebrates, such as polychaete worms and bivalve molluscs (3). Females carry eggs for around 10 months, and can reproduce repeatedly for several years (3).
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Conservation

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No conservation action has been targeted at this species.
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Description

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The masked crab (also known as the sand crab) has an elongated carapace, which is reddish brown to yellow in colour, and sometimes features patterns that look like a face (2). The bristly antennae are considerably longer than the carapace. The first pair of 'pereopods' (walking limbs) have pincers, and are roughly twice the length of the carapace in males, but are about the same length as the carapace in females (3).
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Habitat

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Found on sandy beaches from the lower shore to depths of around 100m (2).
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Range

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Found on many coasts around Britain, but does not occur in most of northern Scotland (2). Elsewhere, the masked crab occurs as far north as Sweden (3).
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Status

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Common and widespread (3).
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Threats

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Not currently threatened.
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Corystes

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Corystes cassivelaunus, the masked crab, helmet crab or sand crab,[1] is a burrowing crab of the North Atlantic and North Sea from Portugal to Norway, which also occurs in the Mediterranean Sea.[2] It may grow up to 4 centimetres or 1.6 inches long (carapace length).[1] The name "masked crab" derives from the patterns on the carapace which resemble a human face (a case of pareidolia), in a similar manner to heikegani.[3] It is the only species in the genus Corystes.[4]

C. cassivelaunus lives buried in sandy substrates, where it feeds on the infaunal invertebrates such as polychaete worms and bivalve molluscs.[1] It uses its two antennae to form a breathing tube that allows oxygenated water down into the substrate.[5][6] The chelipeds of males are much longer than the body, while those of females are only about as long as the carapace.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Masked crab (Corystes cassivelaunus)". ARKive.org. Archived from the original on 2004-12-26. Retrieved November 14, 2006.
  2. ^ "Crabs of the Southern North Sea". Department Zeevisserij (Sea Fisheries Department). October 8, 2001. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007.
  3. ^ Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913). masked crab. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2006-11-14.
  4. ^ Peter Davie & Michael Türkay (2011). "Corystes Bosc, 1802". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  5. ^ "Helmkrab" (in Dutch). Waddenzee.nl. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  6. ^ "Masked crab, Corystes cassivelaunus". Sefton Coast.
  7. ^ M. J. De Kluijver. & S. S. Ingalsuo. "Corystes cassivelaunus". Macrobenthos of the North Sea: Crustacea. Universiteit van Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
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Corystes: Brief Summary

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Corystes cassivelaunus, the masked crab, helmet crab or sand crab, is a burrowing crab of the North Atlantic and North Sea from Portugal to Norway, which also occurs in the Mediterranean Sea. It may grow up to 4 centimetres or 1.6 inches long (carapace length). The name "masked crab" derives from the patterns on the carapace which resemble a human face (a case of pareidolia), in a similar manner to heikegani. It is the only species in the genus Corystes.

C. cassivelaunus lives buried in sandy substrates, where it feeds on the infaunal invertebrates such as polychaete worms and bivalve molluscs. It uses its two antennae to form a breathing tube that allows oxygenated water down into the substrate. The chelipeds of males are much longer than the body, while those of females are only about as long as the carapace.

Ecomare - helmkrab (pcd05049-helmkrab-sd).jpg
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