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Phylum Arthropoda > Subphylum Crustacea > Class Malacostraca > Order Decapoda > Brachyurans > Family Xanthidae
Hairy coral crab
Cymo andreossyi
Family Xanthidae
updated Dec 2019
Where seen? This tiny hairy crab with big blue eyes is sometimes seen on our some of our shores living in branching corals such as Acropora corals (Acropora sp.) and Cauliflower corals (Pocillopora sp.).They are small and well-camouflaged.

Features: Body width about 1cm. Body, legs and pincers hairy, a drab beige or grey. It usually has a layer of algae growing on its body.

Other tiny crabs that live in corals include the Red coral crab (Trapezia cymodoce) and the Bandit coral crab (Tetralia nigrolineata).

Status and threats: Cymo andreossyi is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore.

Sisters Island, Dec 08

Sisters Island, May 07

Hairy coral crabs on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Tanah Merah, Jun 10
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog.

Sentosa Serapong, May 12
Photo shared by Marcus Ng on flickr.

Kusu Island, May 10
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog.


Cyrene Reef, Feb 16
Photo shared by Marcus Ng on facebook.

Cyrene Reef, Feb 16
Photo shared by Marcus Ng on facebook.

Cyrene Reef, Jun 16
Photo shared by Marcus Ng on facebook.

Links

References

  • Davison, G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore). 285 pp.
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