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Platypodiella spectabilisHerbst, 1794)
This small crab inhabits coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, typically on or near zoanthids and sponges.
Platypodiella spectabilis (or red king crab) is a small crab species from the family Xanthidae, native to the Gulf of Mexico.
The crab is relatively small with a carapace of up to 3 cm in width. The carapace is typically bright orange, with symmetrical off-white spots and dots with blue edges on both sides.
This species inhabits coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, typically on or near zoanthids and sponges.
During the Statia Marine Biodiversity Expedition to St. Eustatius (Lesser Antilles, Netherlands Caribbean) in June 2015, small crabs (ca. 5–10 mm wide) of Platypodiella spectabilis (Herbst, 1794) were most frequently observed either inside or in close proximity to Palythoa caribaeorum. A larger crab of the same species (~30 mm wide) was found hidden among sponges and corals, while crevices in dead coral may also be a common habitat. All crabs were characteristically colored in variable patterns of orange, yellow, black and white.
For example, specimens of Platypodiella spectabilis were found to have enormous concentrations of palytoxin in their body tissue, an extremely toxic compound found in zoanthids, mainly of the genus Palythoa!
Many species of the family Xanthidae can be poisonous, although they themselves have no poisonous apparatus (poisonous teeth, poisonous spines, poisonous glands in the skin), the consumption of these crustaceans can even be fatal for humans. Such animals are considered passive-poisonous.
The toxins of crabs (saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin) are produced by endobacteria and stored in the flesh of the crab, these e are highly potent and similar to the neurotoxins of puffer fish and just as deadly.
In its raw and cooked meat, consumption of the crab meat is toxic to humans!
Please be sure to clarify whether the meat of these crabs is toxic or non-toxic before eating it!
Call an emergency doctor immediately at the first signs of poisoning (e.g. breathing problems, muscle cramps)!
The good news is there’s no way you can be exposed to these toxins if you don’t try to eat these crabs – a bite or a jab isn’t going to do the job.
The bad news for those who unwittingly consume these crabs is that cooking the meat isn’t going to make the toxins any less effective.
Fortunately, toxic crabs don’t want to be eaten just as much as we shouldn’t be eating them, so they help us out with their glorious warning colours.
Synonymised names:
Cancer lobata H. Milne Edwards, 1834
Cancer spectabilis Herbst, 1794
Cancer venustus Desbonne in Desbonne & Schramm, 1867 (junior synonym)
This small crab inhabits coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, typically on or near zoanthids and sponges.
Platypodiella spectabilis (or red king crab) is a small crab species from the family Xanthidae, native to the Gulf of Mexico.
The crab is relatively small with a carapace of up to 3 cm in width. The carapace is typically bright orange, with symmetrical off-white spots and dots with blue edges on both sides.
This species inhabits coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, typically on or near zoanthids and sponges.
During the Statia Marine Biodiversity Expedition to St. Eustatius (Lesser Antilles, Netherlands Caribbean) in June 2015, small crabs (ca. 5–10 mm wide) of Platypodiella spectabilis (Herbst, 1794) were most frequently observed either inside or in close proximity to Palythoa caribaeorum. A larger crab of the same species (~30 mm wide) was found hidden among sponges and corals, while crevices in dead coral may also be a common habitat. All crabs were characteristically colored in variable patterns of orange, yellow, black and white.
For example, specimens of Platypodiella spectabilis were found to have enormous concentrations of palytoxin in their body tissue, an extremely toxic compound found in zoanthids, mainly of the genus Palythoa!
Many species of the family Xanthidae can be poisonous, although they themselves have no poisonous apparatus (poisonous teeth, poisonous spines, poisonous glands in the skin), the consumption of these crustaceans can even be fatal for humans. Such animals are considered passive-poisonous.
The toxins of crabs (saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin) are produced by endobacteria and stored in the flesh of the crab, these e are highly potent and similar to the neurotoxins of puffer fish and just as deadly.
In its raw and cooked meat, consumption of the crab meat is toxic to humans!
Please be sure to clarify whether the meat of these crabs is toxic or non-toxic before eating it!
Call an emergency doctor immediately at the first signs of poisoning (e.g. breathing problems, muscle cramps)!
The good news is there’s no way you can be exposed to these toxins if you don’t try to eat these crabs – a bite or a jab isn’t going to do the job.
The bad news for those who unwittingly consume these crabs is that cooking the meat isn’t going to make the toxins any less effective.
Fortunately, toxic crabs don’t want to be eaten just as much as we shouldn’t be eating them, so they help us out with their glorious warning colours.
Synonymised names:
Cancer lobata H. Milne Edwards, 1834
Cancer spectabilis Herbst, 1794
Cancer venustus Desbonne in Desbonne & Schramm, 1867 (junior synonym)
