Relevant Synonyms - Misidentification -  photo: Bella Galil

SHORT DESCRIPTION Carapace transversely ovoid, prominently granulate, produced on either side into distally mammilate cylindrical processes. Front broadly bilobed, not projecting. Orbits deep, completely concealing eyes, outer margin tri-sutured. Posterior margin bearing two distinct submedian granular tubercles. Dorsal surface of carapace bearing two shallow, poorly defined longitudinal grooves, twice forked anteriorly. Chelipeds long, slender, fingers third as long as palm. color : carapace pale orange-red, granules deeply colored; lateral processes orange-red, tips lighter colored. Chelipeds orange, fingers pale; walking legs pale orange. common size : CL 3.5 cm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Carapace transversely ovoid, produced laterally into cylindrical processes. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Poorly known. habitat : sandy-mud bottom, 14-60 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Turkey, 1956 [1955]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : the species was reported from the Red Sea by Monod (1938) as Ixa cylindrus (Holthuis and Gottlieb, 1956). Mediterranean : recorded first from the southern Turkey (Holthuis and Gottlieb, 1956 [1955]). Subsequently recorded from Israel (Golani et al., 1983); Greece, Rhodes Isl., (Galil and Kevrekidis, 2002); Syria (Hasan et al., 2008); Turkey (Aegean Sea): Saros Bay (Artüz, 2007) and Bay of Gokova (Ceyhan and Akyol, 2008). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Common along the Israeli coast. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Presumably via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Galil B.S. and Kevrekidis K., 2002. Exotic decapods and stomatopod off Rhodes Island (Greece) and the Eastern Mediterranean Transient. Crustaceana, 75(7): 925-930. Holthuis L.B. and E. Gottlieb, 1956. Two interesting crabs (Crustacea Decapoda, Brachyura) from Mersin Bay, SE Turkey. Zoologische Mededelingen, Leiden, 34: 287-299.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: October 2008 ©ciesm 2002