Overview
The Pacific lyre crab, Hyas lyratus , in the family Majidae , is named for its shape . This Majid crab has a broad, toothed extension on the anterolateral margins of the carapace that make the carapace lyre-shaped. The carapace is slightly longer than wide, and has no sharp lateral tooth or projection on its posterior half. Its rostrum is bifid and very broad and flat at the base . Carapace is often overgrown with barnacles and other attached species.
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Lyre Crab, Pacific Lyre Crab
Description
Physical Description
Species Hyas lyratus
Males (80 mm) are larger than females (46 mm). They are found on mixed bottom types from 9 to 640 m. Their carapace is often covered with a growth of barnacles and other invertebrates .
Habitat
Mixed bottom , especially shelly hash. Depth Range : 9 to 640 meters
Typically found in water with a depth of 0 to -5,246 meters (0 to -17,211 feet).Mean = -167.600 meters (-549.869 feet), Standard Deviation = 417.850 based on 1,327 observations. Ocean depth information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.
Biology
Reproduction
During a 1991 Delta submarine dive in Kodiak Island's Chiniak Bay , Alaska, a mating aggregation of approximately 2,000 crab, including 200 "grasping pairs," was first described for this species by Stevens et al.(1992).
Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
)
- animals
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
()
- arthropods
- Class:
Malacostraca
()
- Class:
Malacostraca
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name .
Similar Species
Another majid crab with a lyre-shaped carapace is Oregonia bifurca, but it has a longer rostrum and lives below 500 m depth.
Members of the genus Hyas
There are approximately 8 species in this genus:
H. aranea · H. araneus (Atlantic Lyre Crab) · H. coarctatus (Arctic Lyre Crab) · H. coarctatus alutaceus · H. coarctatus coarctatus · H. latifrons · H. lyratus (Lyre Crab) · H. spp
Bibliography
- Stevens, BG, Haaga, JA, Donaldson, WE. Aggregative mating of Tanner crabs, Chionoecetes bairdi. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 51:1273-1280. 1994.
More Info
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- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby FA, Roskov YR, Orrell TM, Nicolson D, Paglinawan LE, Bailly N, Kirk PM, Bourgoin T, van Hertum J, eds (2008). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist Taxonomic Classification. CD-ROM; Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 29, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
- MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 18, 2008.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: EPA'S EMAP Database
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Gwaii Haanas Invertebrates (OBIS Canada)
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: NODC WOD01 Plankton Database
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: North Pacific Groundfish Observer (North Pacific Research Board)
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2707484
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-98422
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13805296
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 98422
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 153349
